Breaststroke

Breaststroke is a swimming style where the swimmer stays on their chest, and their upper body doesn't twist much. Many people like it because the swimmer's head stays above water for a good part of the stroke, making it feel comfortable, especially when swimming slowly. In most beginner swimming classes, people usually learn either breaststroke or freestyle first.

Even though breaststroke is easy for beginners, doing it quickly in competitions needs a lot of stamina and strength, just like other swimming styles. Some people call it the "frog" stroke because the way the arms and legs move looks a bit like a frog swimming. Breaststroke is the slowest of all the main competitive strokes, and many believe it might be the oldest swimming style people have ever used.

Speed and ergonomics

Breaststroke is the slowest of the four official styles in competitive swimming. The fastest breaststrokers can swim about 1.70 meters (~5.6 feet) per second. It can be tricky to learn, especially because it needs good timing and coordination for the leg movements.

In breaststroke, swimmers stay on their chest with their arms just breaking the water's surface. Their legs stay underwater, and their head is underwater for part of the stroke. The kick is sometimes called a "frog kick" because it looks like a frog's legs moving, but when done right, it’s more like a fast “whip kick” that starts from the body and moves through the legs.

The body leans at an angle, which makes this style slower than others. Experienced swimmers use their abdominal muscles and hips to make the kick stronger. This advanced way of swimming is called “wave-action” breaststroke.

A special part of competitive breaststroke is the underwater pullout. Swimmers pull their arms down past their hips while in a streamlined position. They can do one downward dolphin kick during this move, but only one, or they will be disqualified. After this, they bring their arms back up and continue with the breaststroke kick. Doing well at the start and during turns can help improve swimming times.

Breaststroke lets swimmers glide underwater for longer than with other strokes because the kick is powerful. Competitive swimmers often stay underwater for much of the stroke while gliding and kicking.

History

Main article: History of swimming

The breaststroke swimming style may date back to ancient times. Images in a cave near Wadi Sora in Egypt near Libya show people swimming, and some believe this is how the breaststroke began. The way swimmers move their legs in breaststroke might have come from watching frogs swim.

Over the years, many people wrote about and taught swimming. In 1538, a German teacher wrote the first book about swimming. In 1696, a French writer described a version of breaststroke very similar to what we use today. By the 1800s, breaststroke was the main way people swam in competitions in Europe. In 1875, a swimmer named Captain Matthew Webb was the first to swim across the English Channel using breaststroke.

The breaststroke has changed over time with new rules and techniques. In the 1950s, swimmers began going underwater for longer to make swimming faster. This led to new rules to keep races fair. Today, breaststroke continues to evolve, with swimmers and rule makers working together to make the sport better and safer.

Techniques

The breaststroke is a swimming style where the swimmer stays on their chest and the body doesn't twist. It is popular for practice because the swimmer's head stays above water for a lot of the stroke, and it can be done slowly and comfortably.

The breaststroke has a few key movements. The arms move in an outsweep, insweep, and recovery. First, the arms stretch out wide, then push through the water, and finally come back together. The legs move in a "frog kick" motion, coming together and then kicking out. Breathing happens when the swimmer lifts their head to take air in through the mouth and then breathes out through both the mouth and nose. The body stays straight and coordinated throughout the stroke. Swimmers start from a regular position, and turns involve touching the wall with both hands at the same time before pushing off again. There are a few modern styles, but the basic movements stay the same.

Competitions

Breaststroke is a popular swimming style used in competitions. Swimmers race in distances measured in yards or meters. For example, in the United States, they often swim 25, 50, 100, or 200 yards. In other places, they might swim 25, 50, 100, or 200 meters.

Breaststroke is also one of the styles used in medley events, where swimmers complete a short distance of each style in a specific order. These events include individual races and team relays over different lengths.

FINA rules

These are the official rules for swimming breaststroke during competitions. Swimmers must follow these rules to keep the race fair and safe.

After starting or turning, swimmers can move one arm all the way back while staying underwater. They can also kick their legs once in a special way right after starting or turning.

Swimmers must keep their body facing forward the whole time and cannot flip onto their back. Each stroke must be followed by a kick, and both arms must move together at the same level.

Hands must be pushed forward together from the chest, either on, under, or above the water. Elbows must stay underwater except at certain points like during turns or the final stroke. Hands must not go past the hips when coming back, except right after starting or turning.

Swimmers need to keep their head above water at some point during each stroke cycle. Legs must kick together at the same level without alternating.

Feet must point outward when kicking. Certain types of kicks, like scissors or butterfly kicks, are not allowed except in special cases. Swimmers can let their feet touch the surface but not in a way that leads to a downward butterfly kick.

At each turn and at the finish, both hands must touch the wall at the same time, either above or below the water. The head can be underwater after the last arm movement as long as it comes up during the final stroke before touching.

Olympic or long course world champions in breaststroke

Men

Women