CFB Kingston Sharks Swim Club

The Strategies

The sprint races (50 and 100 metre distances) are all-out races from start to finish.

The middle distance events (200’s or 400’s) require a sense of pace, as well as an ability to swim controlled sprints.

The distance events (800m and 1500m freestyle) require the swimmers to constantly be aware of where they are in the field, and how tired they are. Starting too fast, can sap a swimmer’s strength for the finish; while starting too slowly, can separate the swimmer from the pack and make catching up impossible.

There are a number of ways to pace a middle distance or a distance race. Swimmers may elect to swim the race evenly, holding the same pace throughout the race and sprinting the last 100; or they may negative split the race. Negative splitting occurs when a swimmer deliberately swims the second half of the race faster than the first half.

The Course

Competition pools may be short course (25m) or long course (50m). The international standard is 50 metres. World, national, as well as provincial records are accomplished in metre pools (SC and LC). Although some Canadian and many US pools have been   constructed in the imperial measuring system (yards), meets and records in Canada are only sanctioned and recognized in short course or long course METRE pools. Converted yard times are inaccurate and not allowed in Canada.