The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming
PurposeThis study examined tactical positioning and pacing in short-distance (100 m), middle-distance (200 m, 400 m) and long-distance (800 m, 1,500 m) freestyle events, focusing on the influence of race distance, competition round (HEAT vs. FINAL), and sex.MethodsRace data from multiple World Champ...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1600554/full |
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| author | Craig Staunton Jesús J. Ruiz-Navarro Peter Edholm Dennis-Peter Born Dennis-Peter Born |
| author_facet | Craig Staunton Jesús J. Ruiz-Navarro Peter Edholm Dennis-Peter Born Dennis-Peter Born |
| author_sort | Craig Staunton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeThis study examined tactical positioning and pacing in short-distance (100 m), middle-distance (200 m, 400 m) and long-distance (800 m, 1,500 m) freestyle events, focusing on the influence of race distance, competition round (HEAT vs. FINAL), and sex.MethodsRace data from multiple World Championships (2013–2023) were analyzed. Spearman's rank correlations (ρ) were calculated to examine rank stability across race distances, competition rounds, and sex. Additionally, lane distributions of Top3 finishers were analyzed to assess the impact of lane position on race outcomes.ResultsRank correlations increased progressively from the first to the final lap across all race distances (p < 0.05). Long-distance events exhibited earlier rank stabilization, with correlations reaching ρ ≥ 0.90 by 50% race completion, whereas middle-distance events showed greater positional variability throughout. Rank correlations were lower in FINALS than in HEATS (p < 0.05), indicating greater positional shifts in high-stakes races. No significant sex-based differences were observed (p > 0.05). Central lanes (4 and 5) were associated with the highest Top3 finish rates, while outer lanes (0, 1, 8, and 9) had the lowest, particularly in long-distance events.ConclusionFinals foster more dynamic race strategies, with increased positional changes. Rank stability was achieved at a relatively earlier proportion of the race in long-distance events compared to middle-distance events. By the final lap, rank stability converged across all distances, suggesting that race order was largely set before the last lap, emphasizing early tactical positioning over late-race surges. These findings offer insights into optimizing race tactics and pacing in elite swimming. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-766baefec2a842c6aba3b172af2e0c08 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj-art-766baefec2a842c6aba3b172af2e0c082025-08-20T03:45:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672025-06-01710.3389/fspor.2025.16005541600554The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimmingCraig Staunton0Jesús J. Ruiz-Navarro1Peter Edholm2Dennis-Peter Born3Dennis-Peter Born4Department of Environmental and Bioscience, School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Halmstad, SwedenAquatics Laboratoty, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, SpainDepartment of Environmental and Bioscience, School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Halmstad, SwedenSwiss Swimming Federation, Swiss Development Hub for Strength and Conditioning in Swimming, Worblaufen, SwitzerlandDepartment for Elite Sport, Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen, Magglingen, SwitzerlandPurposeThis study examined tactical positioning and pacing in short-distance (100 m), middle-distance (200 m, 400 m) and long-distance (800 m, 1,500 m) freestyle events, focusing on the influence of race distance, competition round (HEAT vs. FINAL), and sex.MethodsRace data from multiple World Championships (2013–2023) were analyzed. Spearman's rank correlations (ρ) were calculated to examine rank stability across race distances, competition rounds, and sex. Additionally, lane distributions of Top3 finishers were analyzed to assess the impact of lane position on race outcomes.ResultsRank correlations increased progressively from the first to the final lap across all race distances (p < 0.05). Long-distance events exhibited earlier rank stabilization, with correlations reaching ρ ≥ 0.90 by 50% race completion, whereas middle-distance events showed greater positional variability throughout. Rank correlations were lower in FINALS than in HEATS (p < 0.05), indicating greater positional shifts in high-stakes races. No significant sex-based differences were observed (p > 0.05). Central lanes (4 and 5) were associated with the highest Top3 finish rates, while outer lanes (0, 1, 8, and 9) had the lowest, particularly in long-distance events.ConclusionFinals foster more dynamic race strategies, with increased positional changes. Rank stability was achieved at a relatively earlier proportion of the race in long-distance events compared to middle-distance events. By the final lap, rank stability converged across all distances, suggesting that race order was largely set before the last lap, emphasizing early tactical positioning over late-race surges. These findings offer insights into optimizing race tactics and pacing in elite swimming.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1600554/fullpacingperformance analysisrank orderrace strategypositioning |
| spellingShingle | Craig Staunton Jesús J. Ruiz-Navarro Peter Edholm Dennis-Peter Born Dennis-Peter Born The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming Frontiers in Sports and Active Living pacing performance analysis rank order race strategy positioning |
| title | The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming |
| title_full | The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming |
| title_fullStr | The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming |
| title_short | The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming |
| title_sort | influence of tactical positioning on performance in world championship freestyle swimming |
| topic | pacing performance analysis rank order race strategy positioning |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1600554/full |
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