I remember reading somewhere (could be this forum) that when you go to a pool in the U.S., you see mostly front crawl/freestyle swimmers, whereas in the UK, breaststroke is more popular. It will be interesting to know what is the most popular stroke in each country. For example, what about Canada? I suppose the same as the U.S., being so close? Other countries?
I remember reading somewhere (could be this forum) that when you go to a pool in the U.S., you see mostly front crawl/freestyle swimmers, whereas in the UK, breaststroke is more popular. It will be interesting to know what is the most popular stroke in each country. For example, what about Canada? I suppose the same as the U.S., being so close? Other countries?
I was stationed in Germany in the 1980's and heads-up breaststroke was very common. Just about every village had a swimming pool (indoors, 25 meters, tiled very warm and very clean). In addition to a shower, you had to wash your feet (fussgangerbad - a little shower for your feet ) just before entering the pool deck.
It was pretty frustrating swimming laps until someone pointed me to a schwimmverien (swimming team).
if you are talking about the general swimming public, then in sweden it is heads up breaststroke.
there is 1-2 lanes dedicated to "crawl" or sometimes called the fast lane, but for the most part swedes swim heads up ***.
I have yet to see more than 2-3 of the 20+ swimming at open lane time swimming freestyle
if you are refering to masters, it's sprint (all strokes) then free and distance free that have the majority of the sign ups at our meets.
There's gotta be a good joke in there about a country famous for legalized prostitution having a swimming event where only breaststroke is allowed, but it probably violates forum rules, so I'll leave it at that...
That reminds of the joke about this Olympic swimming champion at the beach. He sees a beautiful woman go into the water and he decides to go in and impress her with his swimming and, hopefully, strike an acquaintance. He swims up to her; she swims away. He tries to speed up; she does so too and goes farther away. He goes all out; she leaves him way behind. He goes back ashore but asks her when she comes out, how was she able to outswim him and him an Olympic swimming champ. She replies, "I used to be a streetwalker." "Where?" he asks. "In Venice."
I know they have an OW canal swim, 2K, that is breaststroke only.
According to Greek mythology, if you can't afford to pay the ferryman, you must cross the River Styx by doing only breaststroke. But Hades doesn't seem so bad after that.
There's gotta be a good joke in there about a country famous for legalized prostitution having a swimming event where only breaststroke is allowed, but it probably violates forum rules, so I'll leave it at that...
I was stationed in Germany in the 1980's and heads-up breaststroke was very common. Just about every village had a swimming pool (indoors, 25 meters, tiled very warm and very clean). In addition to a shower, you had to wash your feet (fussgangerbad - a little shower for your feet ) just before entering the pool deck.
It was pretty frustrating swimming laps until someone pointed me to a schwimmverien (swimming team).
I am from Germany and I would love to have one of those foot thingies in our Y.My old pool had a device you had to push with your foot and it would spray anti-fungal stuff.
But swimming laps was pretty tricky-they had an 8 lane pool and used no lane lines-so it was pretty much a free for all. And they would have the diving boards(1m,3m and platform)going at various times-into the same pool.
Isn't breaststroke very popular in The Netherlands? I know they have an OW canal swim, 2K, that is breaststroke only.
this is the event I have been looking for-figures it's overseas.......:(
My experience of the UK is that leisure swimmers tend to swim breaststroke, usually heads up. All club swimmers train mainly in front crawl.
Occasionally you get a lesuire swimmer get in and start swimming crawl, after less than 100m they are usually gasping on the side. This is what our coach calls 'breathing out of their b**t'. and , that's the polite version!!!
