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90-964: It was formed in 1992 to differentiate the sport from other techniques of competitive swimming , governed by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). The GBDF did not have anything like the resources that the ASA, now British Swimming, did. Divers in UK have had difficulty to train in the past twenty years, and as there are fewer diving pools to train at. In 1977 there were 296 springboard and highboard facilities in Britain; by 2011 there were less than 100. Wales has one highboard facility. There are none in Birmingham, Norfolk and Suffolk. In 1977, London had 96 diving polls, and by 2011 it had 14. The University of Nottingham Students' Union (UoNSU) has

180-684: A testimonial fund , which raised him £2,424 (£290,000 today). Webb gave £500 to his father and invested £1782 before moving to Kensington , London. For the rest of 1875, Webb spoke at boys' schools, including the Conway , where he was used as an example of English virtues . Several newspapers reported on Webb. The Standard published Payne's account of the crossing, and The Daily Telegraph interviewed Webb. Surgeon Sir William Fergusson called Webb's feat "almost unrivalled as an instance of human prowess and endurance", and noted his body's likely ability for vasoconstriction to prevent heat loss. It

270-431: A book titled The Art of Swimming , though this was mostly written by Payne. In August 1876, Webb accompanied Frederick Cavill on his first channel attempt, but it ended after Cavill drank a lot of whisky and was stung by jellyfish. In Land and Water , Webb stated Cavill had only made it halfway, which angered him. After Cavill's second attempt, he claimed to have finished nearly ten hours faster than Webb. This claim

360-622: A career as a professional swimmer. Webb competed in several races, and performed stunts in England and America, including completing a 40-mile (64 km) swim from Gravesend to Woolwich along the Thames in 1877, swimming 74 miles (119 km) over six days to win a long-distance swimming race in 1879, and floating for 128.5 hours at the Boston Horticultural Hall in 1882. Webb's financial situation worsened, and in 1883 he

450-454: A cramp that ended his race, while Boyton paddled to the finish. Webb challenged Boyton to a rematch, which he accepted. The race took place at Nantasket Beach , and was promoted as the "Championship of the World". Public interest was higher, with a prize pool of $ 4,000 (about $ 130,000 today). Boyton had to paddle between three buoys, and Webb between two. After several postponements, the race

540-450: A drag suit include the depletion of proper stroke. This is caused by the swimmer's own fatigue. When the swimmer becomes more fatigued, different muscle groups become more tired. Consequently, the swimmer will try to engage another group of muscle to do the same thing, which can cause the stroke efficiency to drop. Elite and international swimming comprises the highest level of competition available to swimmers, including competitions such as

630-476: A freestyle or medley relay . A medley relay consists of four swimmers who will each swim a different stroke, ordered as backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Swimming each stroke requires a set of specific techniques; in competition, there are distinct regulations concerning the acceptable form for each individual stroke. There are also regulations on what types of swimsuits , caps, jewelry and injury tape that are allowed at competitions. Although it

720-736: A good barometer reading, light wind and slightly overcast sky. The sea temperature was 18 °C (64 °F). Webb ate bacon and eggs with claret , then set off in the Ann from the Harbour to Admiralty Pier . Toms predicted the swim would take around 14 hours, while Captain Pittock of the Castalia— who was an expert on the Channel waters—estimated it would take around 20. At the time of his swim, Webb weighed 204 lb (93 kg), his chest size

810-586: A jar of porpoise oil for insulation, which he later used for his Channel swim. In August Webb moved from London to the Flying Horse Inn in Dover to begin final preparations. He swam an hour daily, except every tenth day when he swam up to five hours. Webb consulted locals about conditions in the Strait of Dover and chose to use Boyton's strategy. He planned to start on the east flood tide and catch

900-572: A long course pool. There are forty officially recognized individual swimming events in the pool; however the International Olympic Committee only recognizes 32 of them. The international governing body for competitive swimming is World Aquatics , which was known until 2023 as the Fédération Internationale de Natation ("International Swimming Federation"), or FINA. In open water swimming , where

990-565: A new manager, Arthur Payne , sporting editor of The Standard . On 17 July Webb announced his attempt to swim the English Channel with a statement in Bell's Life and Land and Water : I am authorised by Captain Webb to announce his full determination to attempt the feat of swimming across the Channel... Beyond a paltry bet of £20 to £1 he has nothing to gain by success. Surely, under

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1080-506: A new manager, Captain Henry Hartley, who arranged for The Manhattan Beach Company to wager $ 1,000 (about $ 30,000 today) on a ten-mile swim from Sandy Hook to Manhattan Beach . Webb was required to enter Manhattan Beach Harbour between 17:00 and 18:00 to ensure the largest possible audience. Despite his crew's inexperience and Webb arriving three hours early, he finished the swim and fulfilled his contract. The New York Times called

1170-447: A race. Due to waves created by the swimmers, it can be an advantage to swim closer to the center of the pool during a race. Due to this, World Aquatics regulations specify which lane each swimmer competes in based on previous times. In a ten lane pool this is as follows: Competitive swimming, from the club through to international level, tends to have an autumn and winter season competing in short course (25 metres or yards) pools and

1260-662: A reporter from the Dover Chronicle . Despite heavy rain, he set off just before 10:00 with the tide in his favour. Webb alternated between breaststroke and sidestroke , finishing in eight hours and 40 minutes at Ramsgate Pier . The only newspaper to report was the Dover Chronicle . After his long swims, Webb underwent a medical check in London, which was reported in the Land and Water . An employee there gave Webb

1350-579: A rowing boat containing eight people to shield Webb from the wind and rain, and the crew sang the tune " Rule, Britannia! ". After nearly 22 hours, at 10:41 am on 25 August, he landed near Calais. His zig-zag course across the Channel covered about 39 miles (63 km). After finishing, he fell into his friends' arms, and slept in the Hotel de Paris. After his swim, Webb had a temperature of 38 °C (100 °F) and two long swellings on his neck. He slept almost continuously for 24 hours. After meeting

1440-411: A seal, which he called "barnacles", but they did not work. The weather worsened, and after seven hours he was over nine miles off course. He boarded the boat 15 minutes before the weather conditions would have prevented him doing so. Despite his disappointment, he remained positive and was assured by Toms that with better weather, he likely would have succeeded. Good weather arrived on 24 August with

1530-420: A semifinal or final. The clerk is also responsible for enforcing rules of the swim meet if a swimmer chooses to not show up ("No show" - NS, or "Did Not Swim" - DNS) to their events. Timekeepers : Each timekeeper takes the time of the swimmers in the lane assigned to them. Unless a video backup system is used, it may be necessary to use the full complement of timekeepers even when automatic officiating equipment

1620-547: A single dolphin kick may be added to the breaststroke pullout before the first breaststroke kick. In the past decade, American competitive swimmers have made the most use of the underwater dolphin kick, notably Olympic and World medal winners Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte . World Championship pools must be 50 metres (160 ft) ( long course ) long and 25 metres (82 ft) wide, with ten lanes labelled zero to nine (or one to ten in some pools; zero and nine (or one and ten) are usually left empty in semi-finals and finals);

1710-560: A spring and summer season competing in long course (50-metre) pools and in open water. In international competition and in club swimming in Europe, the short course (25m) season lasts from September to December, and the long course (50m) season from January to August with open water in the summer months. These regulations are slowly being brought to competition in North America. As of right now, in club, school, and college swimming in

1800-517: A student who had fallen overboard. He impressed his peers by swimming for extended periods. In 1862, Webb began a three-year apprenticeship on eastern cargo ships operated by the Rathbone Brothers of Liverpool . He trained to become a second mate , earning £30 (about £3,500 today) for his three years' work. His first voyage was from Liverpool to Calcutta . The crew faced bad weather that terrified Webb. Despite this, he excelled in

1890-638: Is Polyester. The main difference between competition and regular swimwear is that competition swimwear is tighter and compresses the muscles of the swimmers. Regular swimwear is easier to put on and more comfortable for leisure activities. The most used practice swimwear for men includes briefs and jammers . Males generally swim barechested . There was controversy after the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 when many Olympic swimmers broke records an unprecedented number of times using revolutionary swimsuits that covered their entire legs. To highlight

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1980-435: Is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic sports , with varied distance events in butterfly , backstroke , breaststroke , freestyle , and individual medley . In addition to these individual events, four swimmers can take part in either

2070-465: Is low – the 2015 FINA World Cup series has a total prize fund of $ 3,000 per race shared between the top three and the 2014–15 USA Grand Prix Series $ 1,800 compared to the 2015 World Aquatics Championships fund of $ 60,000 per race shared between the top eight. Matthew Webb Captain Matthew Webb (19 January 1848 – 24 July 1883) was an English seaman, swimmer and stuntman who became

2160-426: Is possible for competitive swimmers to incur several injuries from the sport, such as tendinitis in the shoulders or knees, there are also multiple health benefits. Evidence of recreational swimming in prehistoric times has been found, with the earliest evidence dating to Stone Age paintings from around 10,000 years ago. Written references date from 2000 BC, with some of the earliest references to swimming including

2250-417: Is used. A chief timekeeper assigns the seating positions for all timekeepers and the lanes for which they are responsible. In most competitions there will be one or more timekeepers per lane. In international competitions where full automatic timing and video placing equipment is in use timekeepers may not be required. Inspectors of turns : One inspector of turns is assigned to one or more lanes at each end of

2340-500: The Swimming, Rowing and Athletic Record and Swimming Notes and Record , for support. Though Watson doubted Webb would attempt the channel, he advised him to wait until next summer for better weather. Webb agreed and moved to Dover to practice. Locals there nicknamed him the "Red Indian" as he would often come back from long swims with a red face. Before returning to Watson's office on Fleet Street , he tested himself by swimming to

2430-836: The Ann were: Toms and his crew, Webb's brother-in-law George Ward, Payne (acting as a referee and reporter for the Land and Water and The Standard ) and reporters from The Field , the Daily News , the Dover Express , The Daily Telegraph , the Dover Chronicle , The Times , the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News and The Illustrated London News . Webb started swimming breaststroke at 25 strokes per minute but soon slowed to 20. He consumed cod liver oil , beef tea, brandy , coffee and ale , but did not stop long for each feed to preserve body heat. By 17:30, Dover could not be seen. At 20:35, Webb

2520-567: The Atlantic Ocean , he jumped in to attempt to save a man who had fallen overboard while the ship was travelling at 14.5 kn (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph). This latter act earned him the first Stanhope medal . In 1875, on his second attempt, Webb gained fame by successfully swimming the English Channel from Dover , England, to Cap Gris-Nez , France. Public donations raised him £2,424 (about £290,000 today), and he started

2610-675: The Iliad , the Odyssey , the Bible , Beowulf , the Quran and others. In 1538, Nikolaus Wynmann, a Swiss–German professor of languages, wrote the earliest known complete book about swimming, Colymbetes, sive de arte natandi dialogus et festivus et iucundus lectu ( The Swimmer, or A Dialogue on the Art of Swimming and Joyful and Pleasant to Read ). Swimming emerged as a competitive recreational activity in

2700-578: The Olympic Games and the World Aquatics Championships . Swimming creates a mix of levels, including: fully professional, semi-professional, and amateur. Fully professional swimmers will typically get a salary both from their national governing body and from outside sponsors, semi-professionals a small stipend from their national governing body, and amateurs receive no funding. Outside of these major championships prize money

2790-533: The Rathbone Brothers of Liverpool , during which he sailed internationally across various trade routes to countries including China, India, Hong Kong , Singapore and Yemen . After completing his second mate training in 1865, Webb worked for ten years aboard different ships and for multiple companies. He was recognised for two acts of bravery: in the Suez Canal , he freed the ship's propeller from an entangling rope by diving underwater and cutting it, and in

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2880-564: The Varne Lightvessel and back again, a distance of 13 miles (21 km). Watson was surprised by Webb's return and introduced him to Fred Beckwith , a coach at Lambeth Baths in south London . Watson and Beckwith arranged a secret trial of Webb, watching him swim breaststroke down the Thames from Westminster Bridge to Regent's Canal Dock . After an hour and 20 minutes, they "grew tired of watching his slow, methodical but perfect breaststroke" and concluded his trial. For

2970-411: The 100-yard or 100-meter IM – particularly, for younger or newer swimmers (typically under 14 years) involved in club swimming, or masters swimming (over 18). Since the 1990s, the most drastic change in swimming has been the addition of the underwater dolphin kick. This is used to maximize the speed at the start and after the turns in all styles. David Berkoff became the first to use it successfully; at

3060-617: The 1830s in England. In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool, St George's Baths was opened to the public. By 1837, the National Swimming Society was holding regular swimming competitions in six artificial swimming pools , built around London . The recreational activity grew in popularity and by 1880, when the first national governing body, the Amateur Swimming Association was formed, there were already over 300 regional clubs in operation across

3150-505: The 1988 Olympics, he swam most of the 100 m backstroke race underwater and broke the world record in the distance during the preliminaries. Another swimmer to use the technique was Denis Pankratov at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he completed almost half of the 100 m butterfly underwater to win the gold medal. The dolphin kick was rarely used in freestyle sprint races until 2008, when "technical" swimsuits were introduced to

3240-568: The Olympics was the 1922 Women's Olympiad . Butterfly was developed in the 1930s and was at first a variant of breaststroke, until it was accepted as a separate style in 1952. FINA renamed itself World Aquatics in December 2022. Competitive swimming became popular in the 19th century. The goal of high level competitive swimming is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in any given event. Swimming in competition should create

3330-579: The River Severn. Webb's first memory involved the water. After school he would go with friends to play in the Severn, so by the age of seven he could swim. This was uncommon for the time, as swimming was not generally considered a pleasurable activity, but rather a medical treatment. At eight, Webb and his older brother Thomas saved his younger brother Charles from drowning. Webb enjoyed showing off in front of his friends and reading sea stories, with

3420-532: The United States and Canada, the short course (25 yards) season is much longer, from September to March. The long-course season takes place in 50-meter pools and lasts from April to the end of August with open water in the summer months. In club swimming in Australasia , the short course (25m) season lasts from April to September, and the long course (50m) season from October to March with open water in

3510-399: The back for backstroke, etc.) If an official observes a swimmer breaking a rule concerning the stroke they are swimming, the official will report what they have seen to the referee. The referee can disqualify (or DQ) any swimmer for any violation of the rules that they personally observe or for any violation reported to them by other authorized officials. All disqualifications are subject to

3600-589: The book Old Jack by W. H. G. Kingston inspiring him to become a seaman. In 1860, at twelve years old, Webb began training for the Merchant Navy aboard the HMS Conway training ship. Initially homesick and disliking the harsh conditions, Webb soon became popular on the Conway and earned the nickname "Chummy Webb". The routine was regulated, but allowed time for play, and students studied both traditional subjects and nautical skills. Webb rescued

3690-500: The channel has been crossed by over 2500 swimmers. After his record swim, Webb received recognition internationally and pursued a career as a professional swimmer. He began lecturing on his career and swimming-related topics, where he opposed the common Victorian practice of forcefully dunking children, suggesting instead they learn by experimenting for themselves in shallow water. He also licensed his name for merchandise, including commemorative pottery and matches. Webb also wrote

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3780-418: The circumstances, there are some lovers of sport who would gladly, in sporting language, "put him on so much to nothing". Should he by chance succeed, which is extremely improbable, it would be cruel that one who would undoubtedly have performed the greatest athletic feat on record should be a loser by the event. Webb's next swim was a 20-mile journey from Dover to Ramsgate . He hired a local boatman and invited

3870-415: The country. In 1844 two Native American participants at a swimming competition in London introduced the front crawl to a European audience. Sir John Arthur Trudgen picked up the hand-over stroke from some South American natives and successfully debuted the new stroke in 1873, winning a local competition in England. His stroke is still regarded as the most powerful to use today. Captain Matthew Webb

3960-544: The crowds at the hotel and touring a lace factory, Webb and George Ward boarded the flag-decorated Castalia for their return to England. Webb briefly went to the saloon but soon moved to the deck, where he was greeted by a cheering crowd. At Dover Harbour , a crowd eagerly awaited him. Webb, Toms and the crew boarded a carriage to the Flying Horse Inn . Webb soon grew tired of the crowd and tried to leave for his home in Wellington via train. The crowd accompanied him to

4050-475: The current as it turned west. For support, he chose the lugger boat Ann , which was captained by George Toms. Webb did not want a doctor, since he believed he knew his health best. Webb waited for moderately good weather and began his first attempt on 12 August. According to Dolphin from the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News , during the swim, he tried an early form of goggles without

4140-645: The day ended with a bonfire and fireworks. When Webb visited the Baltic Exchange in London, workers stopped to cheer him. He accepted invitations to visit the Lord Mayor of London , receive an ovation at the Royal Cambridge Music Hall and have his portrait drawn. Webb received gifts, including gold cuff links and collar studs, a gold watch and a North London Swimming Club gold cross. The London Stock Exchange established him

4230-457: The decision and discretion of the referee. Those who are disqualified may choose to contest their disqualification. In age-group level swimming, however, this is rare. Appeals are reviewed by a panel of officials instead of the deck referee or stroke judges who may have made the initial disqualification decision. Brands such as Arena , Speedo , TYR , and Adidas are popular regular swimwear brands. The most durable material for regular swimming

4320-514: The dog had to be rescued from the water. In the Suez Canal , his ship's propeller became tangled with a rope. Webb dived down repeatedly for hours, cutting the rope until the propeller was freed. Saunders & Co. never acknowledged his efforts so he left for the United States. Disliking the US, Webb took a job as an ordinary seaman on the Cunard Line ship Russia to return to the UK. During

4410-587: The events are swum in a body of open water (lake or sea), there are also 5 km, 10 km and 25 km events for men and women. However, only the 10 km event is included in the Olympic schedule, again for both men and women. Pool and open-water competitions are typically separate events, except at the World Championships and the Olympics. In competitive swimming, four major styles have been established. These have been relatively stable over

4500-442: The feat impressive but useless. On 22 August, Paul Boyton and Webb raced at Newport beach, each wagering $ 1,000, and James Bennett (Newport casino owner) added another $ 1,000 to the prize pool. Two white buoys were placed half a mile apart; Webb was tasked with swimming around them 20 times in regular trunks, while Boyton completed 25 laps in his suit. A large crowd gathered on the beach, and Boyton took an early lead. Webb suffered

4590-440: The final answer to all questions relating to the actual conduct of anything regarding the meet, as well as the final settlement of which is not otherwise covered by the rules. The referee takes overall responsibility for running the meet and makes the final decisions as to who wins each race. Referees call swimmers to the blocks with short blasts of their whistles. This is the signal for the swimmers to stand next to their blocks. Then

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4680-567: The first Stanhope Medal and made him a hero in the British press. From 1865 to 1875, Webb worked on seven ships, the last being the Emerald , where he served as captain for six months. In mid-1872, Webb read an account of the failed attempt by J. B. Johnson to swim the English Channel, and became inspired to try. In 1874 Webb sought financial backers for his Channel attempt and other long swims. He approached Robert Watson , owner of

4770-512: The first person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. Webb increased the popularity of swimming in England. Born in Dawley, Shropshire , Webb developed his swimming skills as a child while playing in the River Severn . At twelve, he began his career in the Merchant Navy after training at HMS Conway . After graduating, he began a three-year apprenticeship with

4860-490: The harbour, dining at his destination and swimming back again. He enjoyed the extra buoyancy that the saltwater provided, and the roughness of the waves. Webb gained a reputation for fearlessness and was admired by his comrades. After his third voyage, he passed his second mate qualification. Webb's contract expired in 1865, after which he became a second mate for Saunders & Co., another Liverpool-based shipping company. He worked on ships to Japan, Brazil and Egypt. Webb

4950-402: The harsh conditions and was not prone to seasickness unlike the other new recruits. The ship then sailed to Hong Kong , Singapore , back to Calcutta and then back home. In Hong Kong, Webb fought off a mugging attempt until a policeman caused the assailants to flee. His next trip was to Aden and then Bombay , where he spent three months and first swam in the sea. He swam between the boats in

5040-484: The issue, in 2008, 70 world records were broken in one year, and 66 Olympic records were broken in one Olympic Games (there were races in Beijing where the first five finishers were swimming faster than the old world record). As of 1 January 2010, men are only allowed to wear suits from the waist to the knees. They are also only permitted to wear one piece of swimwear; they cannot wear briefs underneath jammers. This rule

5130-655: The knees), regular length (shoulders to hips), and bikini style (two-piece). As of 1 January 2010, in competition, women must wear suits that do not go past the shoulders or knees. Drag suits are used to increase water resistance against the swimmer to help them train for competitions. Other forms of drag wear include nylons, old suits, and T-shirts: articles that increase friction in the water to build strength during training, and thus increase speed once drag items are removed for competition. Some swimmers practice in basketball shorts over their bathing suit, wearing two bathing suits, or wearing an extra bathing suit with holes cut in

5220-784: The lanes must be at least 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) wide. They will be equipped with starting blocks at both ends of the pool and most will have Automatic Officiating Equipment, including touch pads to record times and sensors to ensure the legality of relay takeovers. The pool must have a minimum depth of two metres. Other pools which host events under World Aquatics regulations are required to meet some but not all of these requirements. Many of these pools have eight, or even six, instead of ten lanes and some will be 25 metres (82 ft) long, making them Short course . World records that are set in short course pools are kept separate from those set in long course pools because it may be an advantage or disadvantage to swimmers to have more or less turns in

5310-442: The last 30 to 40 years with minor improvements. They are: In competition, only one of these styles may be used except in the case of the individual medley, or IM, which consists of all four. In this latter event, swimmers swim equal distances of butterfly, then backstroke, breaststroke, and finally, freestyle. In Olympic competition, this event is swum in two distances: 200 and 400 meters. Some short course competitions also include

5400-400: The least resistance in order to obtain maximum speed. However, some professional swimmers who do not hold a national or world ranking are considered the best in regard to their technical skills. Typically, an athlete goes through a cycle of training in which the body is overloaded with work in the beginning and middle segments of the cycle, and then the workload is decreased in the final stage as

5490-465: The material. Many swimmers also shave areas of exposed skin before end-of-season competitions to reduce friction in the water. The practice gained popularity after the 1956 Olympics, when Murray Rose and Jon Henricks came shaved and won gold medals for Australia. Freshly shaven skin is less resistant when in the water. In addition, a 1989 study demonstrated that shaving improves a swimmer's overall performance by reducing drag. The disadvantages of using

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5580-638: The only university diving (acrobatics) club in the UK. From 2017 to 2020, UK Sport is funding £8.8m to UK diving. British Swimming has taken over most of diving training for UK competitors in the Olympics. In addition to British Swimming, the GBDF contributes to diving training in the UK. It holds national diving competitions each year; this has been held at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh . Swimming (sport) Swimming

5670-457: The pool. Each inspector of turns ensures that swimmers comply with the relevant rules for turning, as well as the relevant rules for start and finish of the race. Inspectors of turns shall report any violation on disqualification reports detailing the event, lane number, and the infringement delivered to the chief inspector of turns who will immediately convey the report to the referee. Judges of Stroke : Judges of stroke are located on each side of

5760-450: The pool. They follow the swimmers during their swim back and forth across the pool. They ensure that the rules related to the style of swimming designated for the event are being observed, and observe the turns and the finishes to assist the inspectors of turns. Finish judges : Finish judges determine the order of finish and make sure the swimmers finish in accordance with the rules (two hands simultaneously for breaststroke and butterfly, on

5850-447: The referee will blow a long whistle that will tell the swimmers to step on the block. For backstroke events, the long whistle is the signal for the swimmers to jump into the water. The referee will then blow another long whistle, signalling the swimmers to grab the gutter or the provided block handle. Finally the referee will hand over the rest to the starter by directing their hand to the starter. Starter : The starter has full control of

5940-399: The rest of the 1874 swimming season, Webb trained daily at Lambeth Baths. He became close friends with Beckwith and Watson. In June 1875 Webb left his job as captain of the Emerald to focus on swimming. That same month, future American rival Paul Boyton paddled across the Channel in a survival suit . Although Boyton used a suit, the public viewed them as rivals, forcing Webb to match

6030-511: The short course season if a swimmer wanted to compete in a stroke they had just learned, a 25-yard/meter race is available to them, opposed to the long course season when they would need to be able to swim at least 50 meters of that new stroke in order to compete. There are several types of officials, which are needed to manage the competition. Referee : The referee has full control and authority over all officials. The referee will enforce all rules and decisions of World Aquatics and shall have

6120-594: The sport at the European Short Course Championships in Rijeka, Croatia. Technical-suited Amaury Leveaux set world records of 44.94 seconds in the 100 m freestyle , 20.48 seconds in the 50 m freestyle and 22.18 in the 50 m butterfly, spending more than half of each race submerged, more than any of his competitors. Subsequently, FINA made a rule that swimmers may not go farther than 15 metres underwater. In 2014, FINA rules that

6210-476: The standards of endurance that Boyton set. Webb called Boyton "an obvious fraud". On 3 July Beckwith organised a spectacle with Webb attempting a 20-mile (32 km) swim from Blackwall to Gravesend along the River Thames, which he finished in 4 hours and 52 minutes. Although Webb gained media attention for the feat, low public interest on the rainy day meant Beckwith lost money. As a result, Webb hired

6300-445: The start of a race with a loud noise (usually a beep or a horn) and flash from a strobe light. A starter sends the swimmers off the blocks and may call a false start if a swimmer leaves the block before the starter sends them. A starter may also choose to recall the race after the start for any reason or request the swimmers to "stand", "relax" or "step down" if they believe that (a) particular swimmer(s) has obtained an unfair advantage at

6390-492: The start. Clerk of course : The clerk of course (also called the "bullpen") assembles swimmers before each event, and organizes ("seeds") swimmers into heats based on their times. Heats are generally seeded from slowest to fastest, where swimmers with no previous time for an event are assumed to be the slowest. The clerk of the course is also responsible for recording and reporting swimmers who have chosen to "scratch" (not swim) their events after they have signed up or qualified to

6480-642: The summer months. Outside the United States, meters is the standard in both short and long course swimming, with the same distances swum in all events. In the American short course season, the 500-yard, 1000 yard, and 1650-yard freestyle events are swum as a yard is much shorter than a meter (100 yards equals 91.44 meters), while during the American long course season the 400 meter, 800 meter, and 1500-meter freestyle events are swum instead. Beginning each swimming season racing in short course allows for shorter distance races for novice swimmers. For example, in

6570-412: The swimmer approaches competition. The practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition is called tapering . Tapering is used to give the swimmer's body some rest without stopping exercise completely. A final stage is often referred to as "shave and taper": the swimmer shaves off all exposed hair for the sake of reducing drag and having a sleeker and more hydrodynamic feel in

6660-418: The swimmers from the time the referee turns the swimmers over to them until the race commences. A starter begins the race by saying, "Take your mark." At this point, the swimmers will get into stationary positions, sometimes known as "point zero", in which they would like to start their race. After all swimmers have assumed their stationary position, the starter will push a button on the starting system, signaling

6750-605: The train station, while the song " See the Conquering Hero Comes " was played. In Wellington, a crowd brought his carriage to Ironbridge , where the Mayor of Wenlock greeted him. The journey was lit by candles, torches and lanterns held by the residents. On Monday, he was met by a group from Dawley. They escorted him and his family down the High Street, where people welcomed him. Flowers lined his route, and

6840-457: The voyage, he attempted to rescue a man overboard by jumping into the cold mid-Atlantic ocean while the ship was travelling at 14.5 kn (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph). During the 37 minutes before he was rescued, Webb nearly drowned. The man was never found, but the passengers of the Russia gave Webb a purse of gold and upon returning home, he learned that his attempted rescue had won him

6930-479: The water. Additionally, the "shave and taper" method refers to the removal of the top layer of "dead skin", which exposes the newer and richer skin underneath. This also helps to "shave" off mere milliseconds on your time. Swimming is an event at the Summer Olympic Games , where male and female athletes compete in 16 of the recognized events each. Olympic events are held in a 50-meter pool, called

7020-425: Was 40.5 in (1,030 mm) and he was 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) tall. At 12:56 pm, Webb dived from the pier in his red silk swimming costume. He set off into the ebb tide which carried him for the first three-quarters of a mile. Webb was backed by the Ann and two smaller rowing boats operated by Charles Baker, who joined Webb in the water for parts of the swim, and John Graham Chambers . Aboard

7110-532: Was against Ernest Von Schoening, who defeated him in the "Endurance Championship of the World" on 14 September. Webb left the water after swimming 6 miles (9.7 km), and Hartley later said he had felt cramps coming on. Overall, Webb was unsuccessful in America and lost money on the trip. On 27 April 1880, Webb and Madeleine Kate Chaddock married at St Andrew's Church , West Kensington , and they later had two children, Matthew and Helen. Webb's next endeavour

7200-447: Was beaten by Montague Holbein . By 1879, Webb was in financial trouble. To raise funds, he entered a long-distance swimming race organised by Beckwith. The swimmers were tasked with swimming as far as possible over six days. The race was a moderate success for Beckwith, and Webb won the £70 prize. He swam 74 miles (119 km), averaging 14 hours per day. Webb was attracting less attention, so in 1880 he went to America. He found

7290-405: Was confident in his physical abilities, especially in swimming. He would leap off the yardarm into the sea, and earned an extra £1 per day for anchoring near a wreck, and then swimming back to shore—a job which the other sailors were too afraid to do. In one incident, he competed with a Newfoundland dog to see who could swim the longest in the rough sea. After an hour, Webb was still swimming but

7380-477: Was diagnosed with tuberculosis , leaving him bedridden for two months. Webb died later that year after being paralysed by the water pressure while attempting to swim down the rapids at Niagara Gorge , below Niagara Falls . Webb was born on 19 January 1848 in Dawley , Shropshire . He was one of 13 children of the surgeon Dr Matthew Webb. In 1849, when Webb was 14 months old, his family moved to Madeley , and then in 1856 to Coalbrookdale , where they lived near

7470-516: Was enacted after the controversy in the Beijing Olympics and Rome World Championships. Women wear one-piece suits with thicker and higher backs for competition, though two-piece suits can also be worn during practice. Backs vary mainly in strap thickness and geometric design. Most common styles include: racerback, axel back, corset, diamondback, and butterfly-back/Fly-Back. There are also different style lengths: three-quarter length (reaches

7560-576: Was floating for 60 hours in the Royal Aquarium in Westminster . Members of the public were distracted by other attractions, and few paid attention to him. He followed this with a 74-hour float at Scarborough Aquarium, which also received little public attention. In 1881, Webb's friend Frank Buckland from the Land and Water died, and Webb fell ill. Nevertheless, he continued swimming, participating in another six-day race at Lambeth Baths and

7650-658: Was held in Scotland in 1892. Men's swimming became part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens . In 1902, the Australian Richmond Cavill introduced freestyle to the Western world. In 1908, the world swimming association, Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), was formed. Women's swimming was introduced into the Olympics in 1912; the first international swim meet for women outside

7740-491: Was held on 6 September. The details of the race are unclear, but the referee refused to declare a winner and later accused Webb of cheating by swimming to shore and running across the beach. Webb denied the accusation, and it was revealed that the referee was Boyton's fiancée's father. Boyton challenged Webb again in a letter to the New York Herald , offering greater odds, but Webb did not respond. Webb's next race

7830-546: Was quickly discredited when one of the witnesses was found to be fictitious. Cavill continued to taunt Webb for years. Webb did not make much money, but lived a high-cost lifestyle and was generous. In 1877, he bet £100 (about £12,000 today) at 20-to-1 odds that he could swim from Gravesend to Woolwich along the Thames. He completed the 40-mile swim which broke the record for the longest freshwater swim, and earned publicity from The Times . The record stood until 1899 when it

7920-449: Was stung painfully by a jellyfish , but he continued after a shot of brandy, and by 23:00, Toms believed they were over halfway. A mail boat named The Maid of Kent passed Webb, with passengers cheering. For five hours, the currents off Cap Gris-Nez prevented him from reaching the shore, and he was visibly struggling. By 21:30, Webb had slowed to twelve strokes per minute, and the crew grew anxious. The Maid of Kent returned with

8010-459: Was suggested in parliament that Webb be knighted, with Richard Henry Horne being Webb's strongest advocate, but it never happened. It took 36 years for anyone else to swim the channel, accomplished by Thomas Burgess in 1911. After Burgess completed the crossing, Webb's widow was interviewed. She was pleased that Burgess had succeeded, as it demonstrated the crossing was possible and would silence those who doubted Webb's achievement. Since then,

8100-606: Was the first man to swim the English Channel (between England and France), in 1875. Using the breaststroke technique, he swam the channel 21.26 miles (34.21 km) in 21 hours and 45 minutes. His feat was not replicated or surpassed for the next 36 years, until T.W. Burgess made the crossing in 1911. Other European countries also established swimming federations; Germany in 1882, France in 1890 and Hungary in 1896. The first European amateur swimming competitions were in 1889 in Vienna . The world's first women's swimming championship

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