Is anyone else disappointed at the new FINA decision to allow dolphin kick on breaststroke starts and turns? It may be that the "short-axis"strokes now become indistinguishable from one another! With this new FINA ruling and the currently-allowable armstroke breaking the plane of the water on recovery, why not go all the way back to the 1950's designation of "butterfly-breaststroke"? Kitajima's 2004 "victory" certainly prompted this ruling, but that doesn't make the decison a proper one.
Former Member
Anyone notice the guy to theright of Hansen do a huge dolphin kick on the start?
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Blue
as FINA regulations allow - submerged well ahead of touching the wall for her win in Athens.
You are right, PeirsoFan. either I am outdated or I have entered an alternate universe from the one I was in. So what was the finish rule change about?
It seems strange to me that the rules are being changed so dramatically. What exactly is the point of doing this? Is it so that the 'non-breaststrokers' can get better IM times? or so that the ones who couldn't quite perform the kick the way it was meant to be just get faster times?
Where does the line get drawn between improving technique or serious stroke issues, and just making things easier? Is the point to just get faster? To make the judging easier? If thats the case, why don't they just allow hand paddles, and fins while we swim? I thought that the idea of different strokes was that they were DIFFERENT strokes! not just a variation of the same kicking style.
years from now when people come up with new world record times in breaststroke that are way better than the current times, will people realize that the stroke was performed totally different at the time, or will they just assume that the future athletes are the better ones?
things that make you go hmmmmmm?
Originally posted by Phil Arcuni
As for the start, does this mean we can curl our toes around the gutters?
I'd also expect we'll see "standup starts" in pools where they can be done. Remember those? You stand on the edge of the gutter and lean over the top of the block. You can either get a really good start or a really good back smacker :)
Originally posted by jswim
years from now when people come up with new world record times in breaststroke that are way better than the current times, will people realize that the stroke was performed totally different at the time, or will they just assume that the future athletes are the better ones?
The same thing happened when the backstroke turn was revamped. The 50.0 second barrier was immediately lowered in the hundred yard distances as soon as the flip turn was allowed. Dolphin kicking only helped lower the time standards further.
If they didn't limit the distance of kicking allowed, there would to this day probably be a 100 meter dolphin kick event on one's back.
It's terrible,awful,heinous,evil,horrendous,and probably blasphemous. It's also just lazy,making it"easier" to judge. That said,when does the new rule go into effect(when should I start practicing it?)
Originally posted by Allen Stark
It's terrible,awful,heinous,evil,horrendous,and probably blasphemous. Makes you long for those good old days when your head had to stay above the water, your hands below it and you kicked like a frog.
Originally posted by Phil Arcuni
You are right, PeirsoFan. either I am outdated or I have entered an alternate universe from the one I was in. So what was the finish rule change about?
(shrug) I couldn't figure it out. Perhaps the media confused it with the breastroke changes. FINA's rule SW 6.3 "It shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn, at the finish, and for a distance of not more than 15 meters after the start and each turn." That's been around for awhile.
In other news, I heard FINA is supposedly now pushing for indoor venues in future events because of the weather trouble in Montreal. That would be a nice change.
I loved the 1986 Breaststroke rule change. It made breaststroke speed more dependent on streamlining and the stroke more beautiful. Before then any sport show that had a swimmer in the openig montage always had a butterflyer,now sometimes it's a breaststroker. As I read the new rule it is confusing. If the dolphin kick is part of the pull down I don't like it but it makes sense from a judging perspective. What I read doesn't say that ,It says a dolphin kick may be done before the breaststroke kick. I agree that means one could easily cheat and do 2 by making the big one before or after the pull down. Hopefully when the formal rule is printed it will clarify this.
If we are going to make all of these changes why don't we just change the two hand touch and allow people to use whatever type of turn is best. Seriously though, why have the two hand touch requirement?
Hook'em
Blue
