Swimming

toc Swimming can be an inside or outside sport and can be very fun. Lots of kids can do this sport.

=History=

The history of swimming goes way back to that of prehistoric times. Books written from 2000 to 1500 BC, including the Bible, have references to swimming. It was mostly used in these times as a means of cleansing. Any form of competitive swimming wasn’t formed until the 1800’s in Europe. It was included in the first Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

=Popularity=

Swimming is one of the most popular youth sports in the United States, and as gaining popularity as an adult sport because it is easier on the joints than land sports. This may be outdated, but a few years ago I read that swimming is actually the most popular sport in the United States for girls aged 9-12. =Rules/Laws=

Have you seen those bold black numbers painted on the side of the pool? Those are called depth markers and they will tell you how deep the water is at that point of the swimming pool. You always should look before you jump into a pool. You should only dive off the diving board, also. Never dive off the side of the pool unless an adult says that the water is deep enough. The water may be shallower than you think. If you hit the bottom, you might get knocked out or you could hurt your neck very, very badly.

=﻿Equipment=

Goggles, Swim Cap, Ear Plugs, Nose Clips, Swimming Suit, Towel, Swim toys like an inner tube, pool noodles,air mattress, or beach ball, Swimming Pool Toys to help you float come in many shapes and sizes (an inner tube, air mattress, or beach ball, for example). Although they are fun and can help you while you learn to swim, what they can't do is save a life. They're toys that can lose air or float away. =Training=

Learning to swim is very fun. Ask your parents to contact your local American Red Cross or community center for information on boating or water safety courses. You will have fun! Swimming is something almost everybody learns to do in their life.

=Four Main Swimming Strokes and One Relay=

Freestyle- Not limited to any particular technique, Also known as the front crawl or Australian crawl-Has ben used since early last century.Only 15 meters can be swum underwater.

Butterfly-This technique may have been invented by the German E. Rademacher in 1926,and improved upon by American Henry Meyer and accepted in competition in 1933. While swimming,the swimmers must keep their shoulders in line with the surface of the water, and make arm and leg movements together.

Breaststroke-Swimmers of the breast stroke must follow strict rules when performing the stroke. Your shoulders must be kept in line with the water, arm and leg movements must be pushed forward together, and brought back under the surface of the water.

Backstroke-Swimmers remain on their backs, Similar to the freestyle, only 15 meters can be spent underwater from the start or from each turn.

Medley Relays-In the individual medley races, the order of strokes is butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. In the medley relay, the order is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle, with the first swimmer starting in the water. =Olympic Swimming=

The size of an Olympic size pool is: Surface area = 13,454.72 sq ft Volume = 88,263 cu ft = 660,253.09 gallons of water. That's about 5,511,556 lbs (2755.8 tons) of water.

Michael Fred Phelps II is on eof the top 10 swimmers in the world. Phelps is another passionate American swimmer in the present world. He has showed his talent and skill to be accepted as a legend in theswimming history. He first appeared in the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 at the age of 15, but he had to come back without any medal. However, in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he proved his talent and let the world realize that another great is coming. He ended the competition with 8 medals and including 6 gold.