Questions about swimming inspired by Olympics

[Anonymous]

Anyone who knows the swim world able to answer these questions from my family viewing?

- nose plugs - a few swimmers use them. Are most swimmers breathing through their mouth, not nose? Even in backstroke?

- why some very small heats with one or two swimmers instead of using all the lanes?

- are the central lanes most turbulent?

- how well can you tell the placement of the swimmers around you during a race?

- are the underwater cameras distracting?

- from my kid - why are the Olympians allowed to hang on the lap lanes dividers and go over instead of under them when the lifeguards at our pool yell at us for this?

[Anonymous]

Not sure about the nose clips — they seem to be a relatively recent thing in the competitive swimming world.
The center lanes are the least turbulent, as the waves go out toward the edge. That’s why the center lanes are most desirable. I think the lane assignments, in order of ranking from first to last, go 4, 5, 3, 6, 2, 7, 1, 8. So the swimmer with the fastest time gets Lane 4.
And for your child: good question! Being very fast brings all kinds of rewards!

[Anonymous]

As to telling placement, it kinds of depends on the swimmer, the stroke, and who is where. And how willing you are to look. Many is a swimmer has lost a race because they took a bit too long on top of the water looking around to see where competitors were. But if you are breathing toward your competition you can tell if they are close to you. Much harder to assess people in far away lanes.
I have never been good enough to have underwater cameras following me, so can’t comment on that one.

[Anonymous]

I used those nose clips for synchronized swimming. They stop the water going up your nose when you're upside down.

Some race swimmers discovered they were also good for backstroke where the splashed water from your arms can go up your nose. Water in the nose isn't such a problem with freestyle and butterfly when you're blowing air out your nose all the time when you're underwater.

[Anonymous]

The small heats tend to be swimmers from countries without much swimming representation. They get given a spot in the Olympics to broaden country representation but often aren't that fast. By contrast Australia and the US and other countries can only have two swimmers and they must also met a qualifying standard. That is why you might see one swimmer from Lithuania but not two because they only have one swimmer who has met the qualifying standard. Typically the swimmers in the small heats aren't fast enough to meet the standard.

[Anonymous]

Here are the criteria for universality spots for countries that aren't traditionally strong at certain sports. That's why you're seeing small slower heats for some swimming events

https://olympics.com/en/news/what-are-universality-places-and-who-can-obtain-one

[Anonymous]

Thank you everyone! It was helpful to be able to answer family questions!

[Anonymous]

Nose plugs are most often used by backstrokers because they get water up their noses on their turns. The only other event in which you may see nose plugs is are the IMs, because of the backstroke.

Heats are assigned after swimmers are seeded, fast to slow. In most events, swimmers are circle seeded in prelims. The fastest 24 swimmers are distributed among the last 3 heats in a certain pattern. #1, #2, and #3 will occupy lane 4 in the last, next to last and second to last heats. #4-6 will occupy lane 5 in the last, next to last, and second to last heats. Then lanes 3, 6, 2, 7, 1, and 8 are filled, with #24 swimmer going to lane 8 of the 2nd to last heat. This is done primarily for the benefit of the slower swimmers among the top 24, so they can swim against faster swimmers. It also ensures adds some excitement and uncertainty since the top swimmers won’t meet until semis or finals.

Longer events (400 m+) usually just have the last two heats circle seeded, since it would lead to a disjointed viewing and swimming experience to have people lap each other.

Semis are circle seeded with #1 and #2 swimmers in lane 4 of the second and first semi. Events with fewer than 3 heats will not be circle seeded, except for semis.

The central lanes at many meets are desired because there is often turbulence next to the side walls. And there is better visibility to see other swimmers. But at meets with empty buffer lanes at the end, the outside lanes are calmer. Watch the 2021 men’s 4x100 relay to see the us pour on “outside smoke” from lane 2. But you can’t really plan to go for an outside lane because you also risk missing wualifgying for the race altogether.

[Anonymous]

Fewer than 8 swimmers in a heat will occur in the first, slowest heat, because it is seeded last. Or because of scratches. Many swimmers sign up for multiple events and end up scratching to focus on other events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

- from my kid - why are the Olympians allowed to hang on the lap lanes dividers and go over instead of under them when the lifeguards at our pool yell at us for this?

HAHA. This has been a discussion with all of the kids in our swim team!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

- from my kid - why are the Olympians allowed to hang on the lap lanes dividers and go over instead of under them when the lifeguards at our pool yell at us for this?

HAHA. This has been a discussion with all of the kids in our swim team!

Swim teams in pools meet regularly and are ongoing for years. That is a lot of wear on the lane dividers if people were going over them all the time.

Other than during elite sporting events, people have to go under dividers, not over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

- from my kid - why are the Olympians allowed to hang on the lap lanes dividers and go over instead of under them when the lifeguards at our pool yell at us for this?

HAHA. This has been a discussion with all of the kids in our swim team!

Olympics can afford to replace lane ropes and they have extras. Our little pools it would be expensive as they are meant to last for years and it only takes one or two rowdy kids to break them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nose plugs are most often used by backstrokers because they get water up their noses on their turns. The only other event in which you may see nose plugs is are the IMs, because of the backstroke.

Heats are assigned after swimmers are seeded, fast to slow. In most events, swimmers are circle seeded in prelims. The fastest 24 swimmers are distributed among the last 3 heats in a certain pattern. #1, #2, and #3 will occupy lane 4 in the last, next to last and second to last heats. #4-6 will occupy lane 5 in the last, next to last, and second to last heats. Then lanes 3, 6, 2, 7, 1, and 8 are filled, with #24 swimmer going to lane 8 of the 2nd to last heat. This is done primarily for the benefit of the slower swimmers among the top 24, so they can swim against faster swimmers. It also ensures adds some excitement and uncertainty since the top swimmers won’t meet until semis or finals.

Longer events (400 m+) usually just have the last two heats circle seeded, since it would lead to a disjointed viewing and swimming experience to have people lap each other.

Semis are circle seeded with #1 and #2 swimmers in lane 4 of the second and first semi. Events with fewer than 3 heats will not be circle seeded, except for semis.

The central lanes at many meets are desired because there is often turbulence next to the side walls. And there is better visibility to see other swimmers. But at meets with empty buffer lanes at the end, the outside lanes are calmer. Watch the 2021 men’s 4x100 relay to see the us pour on “outside smoke” from lane 2. But you can’t really plan to go for an outside lane because you also risk missing wualifgying for the race altogether.

Ah ha, I thought the outer lanes looked like they were receiving less turbulence with the empty lanes as a buffer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

- from my kid - why are the Olympians allowed to hang on the lap lanes dividers and go over instead of under them when the lifeguards at our pool yell at us for this?

HAHA. This has been a discussion with all of the kids in our swim team!

Olympics can afford to replace lane ropes and they have extras. Our little pools it would be expensive as they are meant to last for years and it only takes one or two rowdy kids to break them.

This. Those dividers need to last weeks. Ours have to last years

[Anonymous]

Why do they suck in and spit out pool water while waiting for times?