What is the ideal body shape/type for a great swimmer?

depends on the type of stroke in general racing kayaks which are long and skinny tend to be faster than row boats which are short and wide Freestlyers, backstrokers tend to be lean and powerful Breastrokers tend to be more muscular Ande

Originally posted by gull80 You should be shaped like a boat. Or a fish. Pigeons - now they can swim.

I have a sister named Dori

People tend to think great swimmers have one shape. Tom Dolan looks nothing like Michael Phelps, who looks nothing like Matt Biondi, who looks nothing like Mike Barrowman, who looks nothing like Brendan Hansen. Janet Evans looks nothing like Jenny Thompson, who looks nothing like Kaitlin Sandeno, who looks nothing like ... You get the idea. The main thing is to have a feel for the water given your body type. Of course, lean muscle mass helps.

You should be shaped like a boat. Or a fish.

Originally posted by gull80 You should be shaped like a boat. Or a fish. A clipper ship rather than a barge. A barracuda rather than a whale shark.

Aren't most Olympic swimmers shaped like an inverted triangle, instead of a rectangle?

Originally posted by aquageek Pigeons - now they can swim. Geek, I would share with you the set of 200s we did this morning, but I'm afraid you would be demoralized and begin having second thoughts about our matchup in the 500. I must admit, though, I was not swimming on my side.

It's best to be a hybrid mutant that is half fish and half human such as myself....the only drawback is that my green scaley fish head isn't exactly a chick magnet! Newmastersswimmer

Seriously, I would have to say...Kaitlin Sandeno.