I didn't think it was possible, certainly not likely but I did it. I don't mean slipping on the deck and breaking an arm. I mean "while swimming".
Two nights ago, going into my backstroke turn in the middle of my 200IM, I realized too late that the backstroke flags had been taken down. I arched my neck to look upside down toward the wall to guage the distance, BAM, I slammed face first into the wall. I came up with a pretty small gash on my nose and cut on my forehead. It wasn't so much painful as startling and certainly embarrassing. Once the bleeding stopped, I thought I should go see about getting it stitched at our local, friendly ER. While in the waiting room, I realized my face hurt...ALOT, so they did an x-ray and sure enough a broken nose.
I've never broken a bone in my life (knock on wood). I quit running 18 months ago b/c I had become so injury prone in my late 30's/early 40's. It's not so bad though, as broken bones go. I'll be back in the pool in a few days once my stitches are gone. The bone will take 4-6 weeks to heal but that shouldn't keep me out of the pool.
Just curious if I'm unique in this regard.
This thread is like a horror movie for swimmers!
Yeeesh.
I haven't broken anything that I know of, but I have been kicked in the face while pushing off behind the breaststroker in front of me. Also, my hubby kicked me in the scapula (not fun, he's 6'4" and very strong) while swimming in the lane next to me. I couldn't swim for 2 days. Oh, yes and the unfortunate heel incident of late 2009!
Lots of smacked hands and forearms. Very bad when paddles were involved.
My hubby did break his finger winning the 400IM (or 200 br, I can't remember) at Nationals in Tempe. He did swim the rest of his races. Lots of ice.
Former Member
Never saw anyone break a bone, but I saw a backstroker dislocate his shoulder on a turn during an NCAA division III national championships in the 1980s. He was helped from the pool in great pain.
NO ! Pulled a few muscles , but never broke anything.
Former Member
I know of a Jr Natl caliber swimmer who hit the pool bottom and fractured a neck vertebra (fortunately no spinal cord injury, but did require surgery to fuse/stabilize the neck).
I recall a tall very thin Masters swimmer who dislocated his shoulder diving from the blocks. His hands came apart when he entered the water and it was kind of a freak accident, no impact with ropes, swimmers, pool bottom, etc. He had very little muscle mass.
We also had a kid with a brittle bone condition for a while. We couldn't guarantee him his own lane to avoid being kicked during practice or to give him more room away from the laneropes.
The injuries described have all seemed to involve some contact/impact or a preexisting condition. I wonder if anyone ever broke a bone or had an avulsion injury just with a strong muscle contraction while swimming.
I think Emily Silver from Cal broke her hand on a finish at the '08 Olympic Trials.
I've smashed my face and hand (at the same time) during a backstroke finish. Didn't break anything, but I saw stars. Also misjudged a flip turn (on back) and slammed both heels into a gutter during a race (that hurt soooo bad).
In high school, I was hit in the eye with paddles (while wearing sweedes). That was not fun.
During a relay in high school, one of the thick skulled Kiesling brothers finished his leg in the race, and my brother jumped off the blocks, arms swimming outward. Mr. Kiesling unfortunately stuck his head up to see what his split was, and John's had crashed into the granite-like slab of bone covering his tender gray soup matter. The skull was fine, but my brother broke a metatarcil in his hand.
At another meet, upon wearing an advanced speed suit for the 1000 i did not realize how much faster, and how many fewer strokes
it would take to reach the wall, I had my eyes closed and misjudged it, jamming my wedding ring finer into the wall, narly preciippitatieng fraracture. and with it gafreneouhs.
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Wow. Reading all of these makes me cringe. So far the only thing I've done is dislocate my shoulder. I pushed off the wall during warm-up in a HS meet and someone came towards me. I only missed 1 meet.
Dropped a monofin on my big toe a few years ago. Had a severe bloody gash, but the x-ray was negative. However, I've had chronic tendonitis, and possibly arthritis, there ever since.
Many, many jammed fingers on finishes.
Breaking doesn't seem like the biggest issue in swimming itself, but tendonitis is just as painful.
Former Member
I dislocated a woman's shoulder in a collision 30 years ago. Three of my teammates have fractured someones hand in their younger days. One of the local master swimmers has fractured her hand during a practice. The former president of the USMS fractured his hand at the long course nationals at the Woodlands touching the wall. The former trainer of the national team has seen a fracture resulting from catching the lane lines. I think swimming injuries are more common than we think, but if you consider the number of laps swum every day they are rare.
