I asked this in another thread but got no reply:
SW 5.3 Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of not more than 15 metres after the start and each turn. By that point, the head must have broken the surface.
Is modern wave breaststroke, which can involve periods of being completely submerged in each stroke cycle, legal freestyle? Or does it violate "Some part of the swimmer must break the surface throughout the race"? Some people's butterfly might also break this rule.
Parents
Former Member
It is in fact possible to be DQ'd in freestyle while swimming what would be a legal breaststroke in a breaststroke race. By violating a fundamental premise of swimming (that freestyle is any stroke you want) it is my number one least favorite stroke and turn rule.
Last year I swam a 200 free, while the fellow next to me swam a 200 IM. He was DQ'd because of submerging during breaststroke.
Second least favorite - the no glide during a backstoke turn.
Third least favorite - In the IM, the freestyle is any stroke other than the first three. Why should that be? Why not swim your fastest stroke? Or, if I swim breastroke illegally (say, dolphin off my turn) does that mean I can swim it during the freestyle leg?
It is in fact possible to be DQ'd in freestyle while swimming what would be a legal breaststroke in a breaststroke race. By violating a fundamental premise of swimming (that freestyle is any stroke you want) it is my number one least favorite stroke and turn rule.
Last year I swam a 200 free, while the fellow next to me swam a 200 IM. He was DQ'd because of submerging during breaststroke.
Second least favorite - the no glide during a backstoke turn.
Third least favorite - In the IM, the freestyle is any stroke other than the first three. Why should that be? Why not swim your fastest stroke? Or, if I swim breastroke illegally (say, dolphin off my turn) does that mean I can swim it during the freestyle leg?
