Did or did not his dolphin kicks happen BEFORE he started his arm pull on both the start and the turn? Because I sure saw that it happened before his hands started to move. Is this legal under FINA rules? Because it sure as heck isn't under USA swimming rules.
He did not do 2 kicks. But he CLEARLY kicked BEFORE his hands started the pull. From the FINA website:
/start
SW 7.4 During each complete cycle, some part of the swimmer's head shall break the surface of the water. After the start and after each turn, the swimmer may take one arm stroke completely back to the legs. The head must break the surface of the water before the hands turn inward at the widest part of the second stroke. A single downward dolphin kick followed by a breaststroke kick is permitted while wholly submerged. Following which, all movements of the legs shall be simultaneous and in the same horizontal plane without alternating movement.
Interpretation: A dolphin kick is not part of the cycle and is only permitted at the start and turn whilst the arms are pulling back to the legs or after the arm pull whilst wholly submerged followed by a breaststroke kick.
/end
Clearly he is guilty of violating the stroke rules. But gets a pass, again.
Kitajama can do whatever he wants and the stroke judges could care less. I still can't believe that the flutter kick is legal. Someone cheats at the last Olympics and because of that, the rules change. I don't get it.
A world ranked Masters breaststroker said one day, people who do this flutter kick in breastroke are wimps(I won't use the actual term he used).
What flutter kick? Flutter kick is illegal. A single dolphin kick after you start your pull is not.
Why stop there? Why not go back to having to keep your head above the water at all times?
As someone who got deeked at a major meet 22 years ago (by my father no less) for supposedly 'kicking' during a VERY strong arm pull, I have no problems with this rule. It takes the guess work out of the S&T hands. You can choose not to kick, but at least your feet can undulate up and down as a result of your pull and you won't get deeked.
hansen kicks before the pull
kitajima used to kick as he pulled but now he kicks before he pulls
ande
Did or did not his dolphin kicks happen BEFORE he started his arm pull on both the start and the turn? Because I sure saw that it happened before his hands started to move. Is this legal under FINA rules? Because it sure as heck isn't under USA swimming rules.
No, Hansen kicked as his hands went past his shoulders, well after he started his pull but Kitajima clearly kicked BEFORE his hands started to seperate and initiate the pulling action.
hansen kicks before the pull
kitajima used to kick as he pulled but now he kicks before he pulls
ande
Which is a CLEAR violation of the FINA interpretation of the rule. The bolded section in my post is directly from the FINA site.
It doesn't say whether it should be at either end of the pull
Interpretation: A dolphin kick is not part of the cycle and is only permitted at the start and turn whilst the arms are pulling back to the legs or after the arm pull whilst wholly submerged followed by a breaststroke kick.
whist - occuring during, at the same time, coinciding with
after - at the end of, following
Seems pretty clear to me.
It doesn't say whether it should be at either end of the pull
Sure it does. During or after the pull is what the rule says. It cannot be prior to the pull.
He is famous for doing two kicks...at least on the start usually....You have to watch close....as he enters is legs kick down...I teach this as part of the old keyhole dive.....works pretty good.....then as far as I know the kick is supposed to be par tof the downward pull.
