Performance Analysis of Individual Swimmers for Elite Competitive Swimming

Abstract

Each and every swim coaches’ permanent concern is on the performance improvement and not on the medals won by his swimmers. There are a multitude of parameters that contribute to the performance. There are different workout sets designed to target specific areas of the body for performance enhancement. The primary aim of the work in this paper is to design, establish and develop a strategy to come up with a performance test set and the analysis of that data collected and to direct the coach and the individual swimmer towards excellence. Once the data is analysed, the appropriate steps can be taken and focused on the swimmer and thus enhance his/her performance. This paper considers the parameters such as Stroke Rate, Stroke Count and Heart Rate as its basic Parameters including Pacing as one of the supporting parameter in performance analysis. This paper focuses on the ‘Free Swim’ Phase of a swimming race for performance analysis conducted on 10 individuals for a period of 10 months in a short course swimming pool with the temperature as a variable component. Each and every swimmer is different and has his/her own pace of learning, adapting, understanding thus the key feature of this paper is that, this analysis is focused on an individual swimmer and not on a group of swimmers thus gives better approachability and flexibility for performance improvements at the individual level. The results of the analysis will facilitate the primary aim of the work and thereby allow the coaches to realise the area of focus where the individual’s performance can be enhanced.