FINA Breastroke Question

Fly kick is the best part of backstroke ... Wonder if they will ever go to an underwater review of the strokes, imagine all the the DQs ...

I have to agree with Geek that this is a danger. For the sake of faster times, the purity of each stroke is being compromised with SDK's. I think underwater cameras and a 3rd start judge viewing...if the swimmers know that there is an eye in the pool...they'll cut out the risk of a DQ themselves. I saw it as well, and the pre-pulldown dolphin kicking was quite blatant. I don't think there will any self-regulating without an underwater camera. Given that they use devices to detect even the tiniest twitch on the starts, I'm not sure why they can't use underwaters cams to DQ breaststroke cheaters on their starts and turns. The cheating on the 50 *** semi-finals made the race a joke. It could be a slippery slope unless anti-cheating rules are actually enforced. Other rules are enforced. Why not this one?

Geek, I think that the rules for backstroke just state that you have to be on your back. For example, you could do elementary backstroke and that would be completely legal (though slow). So the dolphin kick was always fine by the original rules, so long as you are on your back... and follow the later-added rule of surfacing before the 15m point (though I think it would be legal if you surfaced and just kept on kicking dolphin at the surface of the water on your back. I quite honestly would prefer that the single dolphin kick was removed from breaststroke entirely. It irritates me that people are adding more kicks. The IM won't be all that interesting if it's nothing but dolphin, dolphin, dolphin, and maybe a few strokes of free at the end. Blech.

Once again we see breastrokers trying to "fit it" to "our" sport.....go back to the diving well or gymastics mat!! :banana:

The more I think about it the less sense the new dolphin kick rule makes. If you are allowing a kick because the ban is unenforceable then why would one kick be any more enforceable than no kicks? Presuming enforceability was the issue the new rule is no solution at all.

I think we should remove the breaststroke kick from both the fly and back stroke in masters swimming. It was supposed to be that "older" masters swimmers couldn't do the fly kick because they never learned it while they were young. My era was the last to do it, I know because I missed the world record by 2 tenths doing the brst kick.........and then they changed the rules. Many younger breaststrokers do the fly with the breaststroke kick in masters, because they are better at it. Why should be allow a swimmer to do the brst kick in the fly, then in the back, then in the brst.......he's swimming 3/4 of the race breaststroke.

My daughter and I reviewed the dive and turn and we think on the 50 it was Cameron van der Burgh from South Africa who did the two dolphin kicks and then the pull and other kick, also Terrin from Italy did it but not as strong as Cameron. In the 100, we think we saw Kitajima, dolphin kick first and then do the pull down, I don't think this is legal either. Does anyone else think this too?

Many younger breaststrokers do the fly with the breaststroke kick in masters, because they are better at it. Why should be allow a swimmer to do the brst kick in the fly, then in the back, then in the brst.......he's swimming 3/4 of the race breaststroke. EW! :frustrated:

Simple fix: Allow Dolphin kicks and limit it to 15Y like other strokes and be done with it. Of course, then any old hack will be doing ***.... Legally the current dolphin kick should be as/during you pull not before or after. I'm in favour of underwater judging and making examples out of stars who tweak rules and sneak in cheats via DQ's... If it's done the next day so be it...delay medal ceremonies too.

But, if folks are now getting one legal and some illegal number of dolphin kicks on ***, are we eventually just going to two strokes - free and some version of stroke with a fly kick? I have to agree with Geek that this is a danger. For the sake of faster times, the purity of each stroke is being compromised with SDK's. I think underwater cameras and a 3rd start judge viewing...if the swimmers know that there is an eye in the pool...they'll cut out the risk of a DQ themselves.