Swimming- this is the most useful activity, which is recommended to everyone and everyone. It comprehensively develops all the muscles of the body, and. Being in the water tones up, so you can experience physical activity for a longer time. No wonder they say that one who cannot swim loses half his life. However, in order to get the maximum effect from classes, you need to know the types and styles of swimming, and be able to perform them in practice. Let's consider the issue in more detail.

• sports- includes a variety of varieties sports disciplines in water. As a rule, they consist in overcoming the required distance for the maximum a short time. And, sometimes, just overcoming a certain distance, like in a triathlon.
• applied- swimming in the water, associated with the solution of specific problems. For example, saving a drowning person.
• synchronous- girls in swimsuits perform elements in the water to the music. It looks beautiful, however, it requires maximum coherence and effort of each team member.
• game- treated as serious Olympic disciplines, such as water polo, as well as simple catch-up games.
• wellness– swimming and performing various exercises in the water is recommended for the prevention and treatment of many diseases and injuries. However, for such classes, you need to either find a suitable instructor, or immediately contact a specialized center.
• underwater- perhaps ancient species swimming, because even in ancient times, people dived deep into the reservoirs to get ... anything, from pearls to lost keys.
• diving- a spectacular sport and very traumatic when trying to repeat. Never jump into open water. Seriously, even if you are absolutely sure that you will not hit the bottom, it is not worth the risk. You can easily break your spine or twist your neck.

Swimming styles

Swimming style determines not only the speed with which you will overcome the distance, and how quickly you get tired, but also the muscles that are included in the work when moving. Therefore, in our classes, we recommend choosing a couple of suitable techniques and using them alternately. To distribute the load more evenly and not get tired for a long time.

Freestyle (crawl)

In general, the concept freestyle'came to us from big sport, since there is such a sports discipline where swimmers are allowed to swim in any way. Yes, you can swim even backwards, but despite this, all athletes use the crawl. It's simple - it's faster. Yes, this method is more exhausting, however, this way you will cover a greater distance in a minimum of time, which is more important in competitions.

When swimming, you need to move with wide and alternate movements of the arms, while the legs make movements in a vertical plane. At the same time, according to the technique, most of the time the head should be kept in the water, raising it in order to take a breath. It is not recommended to constantly keep it above water, as this can cause neck injury.

Backstroke

Not only sports discipline, but also a great way not to drown. Tired? Roll over on your back, don't drown. It takes very little strength to maintain the position. In addition, you can slowly but surely move around, making movements with your legs. Despite the fact that this seems to be a lazy style, in sports, swimmers develop really high speeds by working with their hands. Naturally, this requires appropriate preparation and flexibility, especially in the shoulders.

Breaststroke

In other words - " frog style". In fact, it is very similar to the movement of this creature, since all movements are made in a horizontal plane. As with swimming on your back, this method takes little effort, so it is used to overcome long distances.

Butterfly

As the name implies, you will have to move like a butterfly, performing symmetrical strokes with both hands. The swimmer pushes himself out of the water while simultaneously performing wave-like and synchronous leg movements. If you want to get out of breath in a couple of minutes, use this style, because it is the most energy-intensive among all the others.

» Swimming

The history of the development of swimming, swimming styles

Swimming is a very beautiful and exciting sport. In addition, this is a very useful and at the same time enjoyable sport, as it strengthens all muscle groups, and also helps to relax the body and the likelihood of injury is quite small here.

The history of the development of swimming has very long roots.
In ancient times, the cult of water was among all peoples. People revered the gods who commanded the waters (Poseidon, Neptune).
The earliest images showing people swimming in ways similar to breaststroke and front crawl date back to the 4th - 2nd centuries. BC. The art of swimming was greatly appreciated. Every year in Hermione, in honor of the holiday dedicated to the god of the seas, and since 1300, swimming competitions have always been held at the Games held on the Isthma at the sanctuary of Poseidon every two years.

The historian Herodotus described the feat of the Greek diver Scyllis, who sank in 478 BC. e. Persian fleet. In a storm, he swam up to the enemy ships and cut the anchor ropes holding them, which caused them to crash on the rocks. Returning, the hero swam 5 km. and often dived so as not to be seen by the Persians. In honor of the feat of Scillis, his compatriots erected a statue of him at Delphi.

The ability to swim well was very revered in the days of the Roman Empire. Roman troops had specially trained detachments on ships, whose task was to repair the underwater part of the ships and naval reconnaissance.
In the Middle Ages, a knight at his initiation had to demonstrate his ability to swim in armor. The first amateur swimming school was founded in 1785 in Paris. In Russia, such an institution first appeared in 1825 in St. Petersburg.

The history of the development of swimming as a sport

First international swimming competitions took place in 1889 in the capital of Romania, the city of Budapest. Swimming made its debut at the modern Olympics already at the first of them in 1896 in Athens.
In 1908, the International Federation of Amateur Swimming (FINA) was created.
This type The sport was constantly developing, new high-speed styles of swimming appeared.
In 1887, at the first official British competitions, swimmers used only breaststroke on the side without taking the hands out of the water - the oldest way. The first records on long and short distances set exactly with a brace. This method was also described in 1538 by the Dane N. Binman. Probably, this style of swimming was adopted from the frog at one time. For a long time, this species was called that - swimming "like a frog." In the 19th century this method is called breaststroke.

At the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the Cuban I. Indelfonso won. He showed the highest result, thanks to strokes with his hands to the hips. In 1954, the Soviet swimmer M. Petrusevich set a world record by swimming part of the distance under water. Thus, a diving breaststroke with a stroke of hands to the hips appeared - a high-speed version of the classic. In 1957, due to changes in the rules, it was banned.

In the mid-30s of the twentieth century. a new style of swimming has appeared - butterfly, so named because of the resemblance to the movements of the wings of a butterfly. At official competitions, the American Jimmy Higgins swam in this way for the first time in 1935 and set a world record at a distance of 100 m, showing a time of 1 min 10.8 s. In the same year, the Soviet sailor Semyon Boychenko broke his record by swimming the same distance in 1 minute and 8 seconds.

At the 1948 Olympics, the athlete who swam breaststroke in the final competition showed the worst result. After that, FINA divided the breaststroke and butterfly competitions.
In the same years, the high-speed butterfly - dolphin - was established: instead of leg movements in the breaststroke technique, the athlete began to perform wave-like movements with his whole body, including his legs. For the first time, this method, which was distinguished by an unusually high speed, was shown by the American D. Sieg in 1935. In 1953, the Hungarian Györde Tumpek set a world record using this method. Since then, athletes began to use only a high-speed variety of butterfly.

crawl style

At the end of the nineteenth century. appeared fastest swimming style- crawl. It combines short arm strokes and lateral vigorous leg movements with slight flexion and extension at the knee. The Australians borrowed this type from their neighbors from the nearest archipelagos. A. Wickham, a native of the Solomon Islands, was the first to demonstrate the crawl at competitions. Wickham already in 1898 swam almost modern crawl, but due to the fact that by the end of the distance he was exhausted, his method was not very popular then. In the future, the crawl swimming style improved. Soon, the great American swimmer, world record holder and five-time Olympic champion Johnny Weissmuller 1922 - 1940 His result at a distance of 100 m (57.4 s) remained unsurpassed for 10 years. From 1924 to 1934

Swimming competition

The four main swimming styles that appear in competition are back crawl, front crawl, butterfly (dolphin) and breaststroke. At official chest crawl competitions (freestyle), both men and women perform at distances of 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1500 meters, swim on their backs at 100 and 200 meters. Breaststroke and butterfly swim at distances of 100 and 200 m.
Swimming - second after athletics sport by representation in the Olympic program, by the number of medals played.

Man learned to swim in the distant prehistoric times.

How did it happen? At first, in search of food, people collected edible shells in shallow water, caught fish with their hands, jammed them with stones, and hit them with spears. But gradually man more and more mastered the water element. To get his prey from deep places, he resorted to the help of sticks or branches plucked from a tree, and only with time he decided to enter the water and swim, and even then holding on to tree trunks.

According to scientists, the first swimmers appeared on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas in the Middle East about 75 thousand years ago...

We can judge by the descriptions of primitive methods that have come down to our time about the skill in swimming that people of the past millennia have achieved. fishing and hunting for waterfowl, made by sailors and travelers who found some tribes on the islands and continents who continued to live in the world of the Stone Age.

Swimming has not lost its significance in the later periods of the life of mankind. The Greek historian Herodotus tells of a remarkable swimmer of antiquity, Skillias of Sikon, who, together with his daughter Cyanna, committed a brave act. During the war of the Greeks with the Persians in 480 BC, the father and daughter made their way at night in a strong storm to the parking lot of enemy ships and cut the anchor ropes. Many ships were thrown by the raging sea onto the coastal reefs. Skillias and Cianna swam over 5 kilometers.

The use of swimming for military purposes was well known in the ancient world. The troops of Alexander the Great were distinguished not only by their endurance in campaigns, but also by their ability to swim well.

To be able to swim was a must in Carthage. History has preserved information about the campaign against Rome of the famous Carthaginian commander Hannibal in the spring of 217 BC. The Carthaginian army was hardened. For four days and three nights, Hannibal's army marched waist-deep and chest-deep in water along the swampy low-lying Arno River, forcing impassable places by swimming.

Great perfection in swimming reached the Roman soldiers. For example, on the ships of the Roman fleet there were special guilds of swimmers who repaired the underwater parts of the ships, conducted reconnaissance and delivered the information received by swimming. The famous Roman generals Gnaeus Pompey, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and especially Cassius Longhi were themselves good swimmers and taught the art of swimming to their legionnaires. Roman soldiers could cross rivers in full gear.

But swimming, of course, was necessary not only for warriors.

IN Ancient Greece in the gymnasiums where young men were brought up, special pools were arranged for the people. Those who could not swim were considered ignoramuses. They said about an ignorant person: "He can neither swim nor read."

In Rome there were a lot of thermal baths with swimming pools. The baths of the emperor Valerius Aurelius Diocletian, erected in the era of the late Roman Empire - approximately in 302 AD, were a masterpiece of art. These baths amazed with their splendor and size of a hundred-meter marble-lined pool.

In the dark times of the Middle Ages, swimming is forgotten. People not only do not learn to swim - many do not use water even for hygienic purposes. Among Christians, monks were especially revered and considered pleasing to God, giving a vow never to wash.

In France, under Louis XIV, during the festivities in the palace, magnificent waterfalls and fountains were arranged, but they were only admired.

However, the history of the Middle Ages also knows outstanding swimmers from common people. The name of the amazing swimmer Arctic fox Kolla, whom his contemporaries called the "fish-man", has been preserved forever. Pesce Colla was born in 1300 on the island of Sicily to a fisherman's family. From an early age, he provided his family with food by catching oysters, fish and corals. Growing up, the young man spent whole days at sea, away from the coast, only accidentally resting on passing ships. Then he became a kind of floating postman. Even in a strong storm, Pesce Kolla delivered mail in a leather bag to the Litarian Islands, located at a distance of 50 miles. The tragic death of this remarkable swimmer was the plot for Schiller's ballad "The Cup", known to us in Zhukovsky's translation from German.

Only in the era of the Middle Ages, during the period of chivalry, they again began to attach great importance to swimming and it became one of the seven arts necessary for a knight, and in the Renaissance, swimming finally gains popularity.

In what ways did the Greek Skillias, Cassius Longi, Julius Caesar, Pesce Kolla and other swimmers of antiquity swim? Chronicles, traditions and legends that tell about their exploits do not report this. So is it possible to answer these questions now?

It turns out you can. To do this, you need to get acquainted with the exhibits of historical museums in different countries. Here is an Assyrian bas-relief from 1200 BC in the British Historical Museum. It depicts warriors pursued by enemies. They swim across the river in full combat gear. Two of them float on inflated bags, and one cuts through the water in a way very similar to the Russian "sazhenki" or crawl.

Swimming is one of the most popular and massive sports. Undoubtedly, swimming is also one of the most beneficial activities. physical activity. The purpose of this article is to familiarize the reader with the varieties of swimming and some types of water sports.

According to the classification of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) swimming as a sport, includes: sports swimming, water polo, diving and synchronized swimming. The development of swimming in the world is coordinated by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), founded in 1908 and holding world championships since 1973, and in Europe by the European Swimming League (LEN), established in 1926 and holding European championships since 1926. By the number of medals played on Olympic Games ah, swimming is in second place, behind only athletics.

You can consider swimming not as a set of water sports, but from the point of view of the purpose of movement. Then swimming can be divided into several types (sports, applied, health-improving, figured, game, underwater). Each of the types of swimming is characterized by special movements or methods of movement in the aquatic environment. And the way of movement in the water, in turn, determines the technique of swimming.

We present the above in the form of a diagram and consider in more detail the types of swimming and some types of water sports.

Sports swimming

Sports swimming includes various kinds of competitions held in pools 50 or 25 meters long at a distance of 50 to 1500 meters, as well as open water in the form of swims long distances(5, 10, 25 km). The first swimmer (team) to reach the finish line wins.

The distance must be overcome by various strictly regulated competition rules in ways. Sports swimming methods include: freestyle (crawl on the chest), butterfly (dolphin), breaststroke, backstroke (crawl on the back). By the speed of the most fast way swimming is front crawl, then butterfly, back crawl and breaststroke.

Swimming styles (from left to right): backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle

Sports swimming was included in the program of the First Olympic Games in 1896, held in Athens. Then the following distances were presented: 100 meters, 500 meters, 1200 meters freestyle and 100 meters for sailors.

IN currently olympic swimming program in a 50m pool includes 32 numbers (16 distances for men and 16 for women):

• single swimming in sports ways at various distances: freestyle (50, 100, 200, 400, 800 meters for women and 50, 100, 200, 400 and 1500 meters for men), back crawl (100 and 200 meters), breaststroke ( 100 and 200 meters), butterfly (100 and 200 meters),
• integrated swimming (200 and 400 meters). Equal segments of the distance are overcome different ways swimming, changing in a clear sequence;
• freestyle relay races 4 * 100 and 4 * 200 meters. Four swimmers swim alternately freestyle the same length;
• combined relay 4 * 100 meters. Each participant swims his stage in a certain way of swimming.

IN Olympic program since 2008 marathon swimming in open water at a distance of 10 km has been included.

The program of world championships and others international competitions somewhat different from the Olympics. In addition, competitions are held separately in the "short water" (in a 25-meter pool).

Variety sports swimming are swims- swims over long distances (more than 2 km), held on natural reservoirs. Marathon swims are held at a distance of 5, 10, 25 km. There are swims up to 100 - 150 km long. Swimming participants have the right to use any swimming methods at a distance, change them while overcoming the distance, and also eat while being in the water in an unsupported position.

Sports swimming for various distances is included as compulsory exercise V different kinds all-around(modern pentathlon, officer pentathlon, etc.).

By clicking on the links you can get acquainted with the successes of Soviet and Russian Olympians, read about the outstanding swimmers and swimmers of the world, read.

Play swimming

Play swimming is the use of all kinds of outdoor games in conditions aquatic environment. Games cause great emotions, increase activity, develop coordination, promote a sense of camaraderie and the emergence of initiative. A variety of games and entertainment are widely used in health camps and when organizing water holidays. One of these games - water polo - has become an Olympic sport.

– sports team game with the ball on the water, the goal of the game is to large quantity throw the ball into the opponent's goal once and not let the ball into your own goal. The game takes place in a pool measuring 30x20 meters, at least 180 cm deep. There are marking lines at the bottom of the water field, they are also indicated by floats of different colors along the pool border. The game involves 2 teams, 7 players each, one of them is the goalkeeper. Gate size: 3 meters wide, 90 cm high. The goalkeeper is the only player on the team who can touch the ball with both hands. The water polo ball is similar to a volleyball, it should not absorb water, the color of the ball is usually yellow, the circumference is from 68 to 71 cm, the weight is from 400 to 450 grams (3 sizes in total: for children, juniors and adults). The game consists of 4 periods, lasting 8 minutes of pure time. Each team can have possession of the ball for a maximum of 30 seconds.

Water polo was invented in the second half of the 19th century by the Scot William Wilson. The prototype of the game was rugby. Water polo is one of the oldest Olympic sports. Water polo among men's teams entered the Olympic program in 1900, and women's - only 100 years later. The largest number of medals at the Olympic Games (gold and total) was won by the Hungarian water polo players. Soviet water polo players have been participating in the Olympic Games since 1952 and have repeatedly won Olympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze). Russian water polo players have 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.

The World Water Polo Championship among men has been held since 1973, among women - since 1986 under the auspices of FINA.

Sports diving

Sports diving- one of the most spectacular competitions in water sports. Athletes jump from a springboard or tower, performing a number of acrobatic actions during the jump (screws, revolutions, rotations). Jumps are single and synchronized doubles. The judges evaluate the takeoff and stand on the projectile, repulsion, the quality of the performance of acrobatic elements in flight, entry into the water and synchronization (in pair jumps).

Sports diving

Projectiles for jumping into the water are:

1. Springboard- a special springy board, one end of which is fixed on the side of the pool. Board size: length - 4.8 meters, width 50 cm. The front edge of the springboard protrudes beyond the edge of the pool by at least 1.5 meters. Performing a ski jump, the athlete first swings on it and then, powerfully pushing off, jumps into the water. Springboard is meter and three meters.
2. Tower- a structure with several platforms at different heights. Each platform is 2 meters wide and 6 meters long. The edge of the platform protrudes beyond the edge of the pool by at least 1.5 meters. Jumps are performed from a tower of 5, 7.5 and 10 meters.

Each sports jump has its own coefficient of difficulty (from 1.2 to 3.9). Jumps into the water are distinguished: according to the initial position - from the front and back racks, from the handstand; in the direction of rotation - forward, backward and with screws (rotation around the longitudinal axis). Jumps from the front stance can be performed from a place or from a running start. The combination of different elements allows you to perform more than 60 options for ski jumping and more than 90 from the tower.

As a sport, diving appeared in the middle of the 19th century in Germany. For the first time, single jumps entered the program of the Olympic Games in 1904, synchronous in 2000. The most successful athletes in this sport were athletes from the United States, who by 2013 had won more than 130 Olympic medals(more than a third of which are gold). At the Olympic Games, 8 sets of medals are played: 4 sets are played for men and women in diving from a 3-meter springboard (single and synchronous) and a 10-meter tower (single and synchronous). Diving is included in the program of the World and European Aquatics Championships.

figure swimming

Figure (artistic, synchronized) swimming- is a collection various movements, including elements of choreography, acrobatic and gymnastic combinations. It can be performed individually (solo), in pairs and in groups. Synchronized swimming is one of the most beautiful sports.

Synchronized swimming originated in Canada in the 1920s, when this type of swimming was called "water ballet". olympic view Synchronized swimming became a sport in 1984. Competitions consist of technical (mandatory) and long (free) programs. IN technical program athletes must perform certain figures to the music. IN free program there are no restrictions on musical or choreographic composition. A jury of 10 judges evaluates the technique and artistry of the performance on a 10-point scale. According to the total number of medals for Olympic history this sport is ahead of the Japanese (12 awards). At the Olympic Games in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012. all the gold medals were won by the Russian team - this is the most a large number of gold medals in Olympic synchronized swimming.

Applied swimming

Applied swimming- the ability of a person to stay on the water (that is, to master the skill of swimming) and to produce vital necessary actions and activities.

Applied swimming is used when performing certain applied tasks, such as swimming across a water barrier, helping a drowning or tired swimmer, getting objects from the bottom, transporting objects through a water barrier, etc. The ability to swim is necessary for people of many professions, for example, fishermen, fleet workers, biologists, military personnel, geologists, rescuers.

Applied Swimming Includes:

• swimming in sports, original and combined ways of swimming
• diving and underwater movement
• applied diving
• rescuing the drowning and helping tired swimmers
• swimming in extreme conditions
• overcoming water barriers

To solve the problems of applied swimming, the technique of sports methods of swimming (front crawl, breaststroke on the chest, front crawl, dolphin), elements of sports methods of swimming (for example, swimming only with the help of crawl or breaststroke) and combinations of elements of sports methods (for example , crawl legs - breaststroke arms), purely applied swimming methods (swimming on the side, breaststroke on the back).

More often than others, breaststroke, breaststroke on the back, swimming on the side are used to transport drowning people; for a quick swim to the object - crawl on the chest (if the swimmer is not constrained by clothing); to overcome long distances - breaststroke, crawl on the chest without carrying out hands, for transporting goods - breaststroke on the back, breaststroke on the chest, swimming in the way on the side.

Diving and jumping into the water is of great practical importance. When diving, a slightly modified technique of sports swimming methods is used: breaststroke, crawl, or a combination of the techniques of these methods. Elements of sideways swimming and dolphin style can also be used. For quick dive from the reference position (from the shore, boats) they use jumping into the water upside down and upside down. From a supportless position, it is also possible to dive upside down or upside down.

Saving the drowning and helping tired swimmers is also a section of applied swimming. The rescuer's actions can be divided into stages: entering the water, swimming up to the victim, searching for the victim under water, freeing him from possible seizures, transporting him to the shore, and providing first aid on land. Each of these stages is very important, because the life of the rescued person (and sometimes the rescuer himself) depends on the qualifications of the rescuer.

Recreational swimming

Recreational swimming- the use of the features of swimming movements and the presence of the body in water for therapeutic, prophylactic, restorative, tonic, hygienic, tempering and other purposes. Swimming is one of the most effective means of recovery. Recreational swimming is used in the system physical education person throughout his life, from infancy to old age. Swimming has a minimum of restrictions for people with various health problems compared to other types of physical exercise.

Regular swimming lessons have a beneficial effect on human health and performance, trains the maximum number of organs and systems of the body, while being one of the least traumatic types physical activity. Swimming strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory system, develops and strengthens the musculoskeletal system, helps to form a beautiful silhouette, allows you to control weight, improves skin smoothness . Children who swim a lot and regularly grow faster. Swimming promotes the development of endurance and coordination of movements. Swimming allows you to maintain excellent flexibility of the spine and normal range of motion of the joints until old age, and prevents the development of osteochondrosis. Swimming has a beneficial effect on nervous system involved. Swimming improves sleep, reduces stress levels, relieves tension and increases efficiency. A person who regularly goes in for swimming is less prone to colds due to the improvement of the thermoregulation mechanism.

Swimming is recommended remedy for various curvatures of the spine, posture defects, degenerative joint diseases, diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, obesity, neuroses, for recovery after operations and injuries.

IN recreational swimming a wide variety of swimming methods (both sports and original) can be used, and special exercises in water, game swimming elements.

Diving

Diving- this is a person swimming under water with the help of various supporting means and devices. Scuba diving also exists as a type (more precisely, a group of types) of underwater sports. Underwater sport is a broad concept that includes a set of sports disciplines related to the athlete's stay partially or completely under the surface of the water. International Federation underwater sport is the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS), recognized by the International Olympic Committee. However, underwater sports are currently not included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Underwater sports (from left to right): underwater orienteering, fin swimming, underwater rugby, underwater shooting

The disciplines of underwater sports are:

1. Apnea (freediving)
   A group of underwater sports disciplines that require the athlete to perform certain exercises or cover a distance while holding his breath. Competitions are held in the pool and in open water. The following areas of apnea can be distinguished:
   • Dynamic apnea with and without fins (monofin). The goal is to overcome the maximum distance in length while holding the breath. Competitions are held in the pool.
   • Static apnea. Purpose: to demonstrate the longest possible breath holding in a stationary state, lying on the surface of the water with the face immersed in water. Competitions are held in the pool.
   • Diving with constant or variable weight. Purpose: to dive to the maximum depth while holding your breath and ascend. Depending on the variety, special equipment (drop weights, cart, fins) may or may not be used. Also, depending on the variety, descent / ascent along the cable with the help of hands is allowed or not. Competitions are held in open water.
   • Apnea-square. Purpose: to overcome the maximum distance along the trajectory along the faces of a cube with a side of 15 meters. Competitions are held in open water.
2. sport diving
   Competitions in sport diving are held in the pool in the following disciplines:
   • Combined swimming 300 meters. Goal: cover the distance in the shortest possible time. Part of the distance is required to go under water using a basic self-contained breathing apparatus, part - on the surface, using a breathing tube.
   • Obstacle course 100 meters. Purpose: to overcome the distance in the shortest possible time, while performing certain exercises, which are a demonstration of the basic skills of a diver and overcoming special obstacles.
   • Night diving. Purpose: to collect in the shortest possible time three loads, each weighing 1 kg, located at a given distance from the trigger end. A light-tight cover is put on the athlete's mask.
   • Load lifting. Goal: in the shortest possible time to reach a 6-kilogram load located under water at a distance of 25 meters from the start line. Then carry out the lifting of the cargo by means of a standard buoy.
3. Scuba diving with fins
   The goal of finswimming competitions is to overcome the distance on/under the surface of the water in the shortest time. Athlete's equipment: swimming suit, bi-fins or monofins, mask. In this group of disciplines, there are a very large number of competitive distances, some of which are covered using a snorkel and scuba gear.
4. underwater orientation
   Underwater orienteering competitions are held in open water. Athlete's equipment: wetsuit, scuba gear, mask, fins, magnetic compass, log (distance counter) and depth gauge. The task of the athlete is to overcome a certain route with maximum accuracy in the minimum time. The competition program includes various individual ("zones", "landmarks", "star", "map", "parallels") and group exercises ("MONK", "team search"). The results are evaluated by the accuracy of orientation and by the time to overcome the distance.
5. Underwater tourism
   Underwater tourism - participation in expeditions to study various reservoirs. The readiness of an underwater tourist is assessed by the number and degree of complexity of expeditions, the implementation of special control standards.
6. underwater sports shooting
   Underwater sports shooting is the defeat of stationary and moving targets from a certain distance from an underwater gun. Shooting is carried out without scuba gear while holding the breath. Competitions are held in the pool.
7. Spearfishing
   Spearfishing is carried out in open water and involves the search for and defeat of a living target - fish for a certain time in a given area. Hunting is carried out by holding the breath. Equipment: mask, fins, spear gun or crossbow.
8. Aquathlon (underwater wrestling)
   Aquathlon is a competition between two athletes who make short bouts in and under water while holding their breath, trying to take possession of the tape attached to the opponent's ankle. The fight takes place in the ring 5 * 5 meters, the depth of the pool is 2-6 meters. The competition consists of three 30 second rounds. Wrestlers equipment: swimming suit, fins, mask, 2 ankle cuffs, 2 fabric tapes attached to the cuffs.
9. Underwater hockey
   The game involves 2 teams, each of which consists of 6 players equipped with fins, masks, snorkels, clubs. The object of the game is to drive the puck into the opponent's goal by pushing it along the bottom of the pool. The size of the hockey pool is 2581582 meters. The length of the gate is 3 meters. The game lasts 2 periods of 15 minutes each.
10. Underwater rugby
    Competitions are held under water in a pool with a depth of 3.5-5 meters. On the playing field measuring 10-12 meters wide and 15-18 meters long there are 2 teams, 6 people each. Player equipment: fins, mask and snorkel. The object of the game is to drive a negatively buoyant ball into the opponent's basket at the bottom of the pool. The diameter of the basket is 40-45 cm, the diameter of the ball is 25 cm. The game lasts 2 periods of 15 minutes each.
11. underwater photography
    Underwater photography is carried out in open water. The task of the athletes is to make the most successful photograph from an artistic point of view in a certain time and with a limited number of frames. Equipment: digital camera, basic set of diving equipment.

Swimming- This is an Olympic water sport, which consists in overcoming various distances by swimming and in the shortest time. Regardless of the type of swimming, a swimmer is allowed to swim no more than 15 meters underwater (at the start or after a turn).

The history of the emergence and development of swimming

The ubiquitous finds of archaeologists indicate that people learned to swim a very long time ago. Rather, learning to swim was initiated by foraging and warfare.

In 1515, the first swimming competitions were held in Venice. In 1869, the first amateur swimming school was opened in England (the Association of Amateur Sports Swimmers of England). A little later, similar schools appeared in Sweden, Germany, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, the USA, New Zealand, Russia, Italy and Austria.

At the end of the 19th century, there was a surge in the popularity of water sports, a prerequisite for this was the appearance of artificial pools.

Swimming has been part of the Olympic Games since 1896. In 1899, a major European championship was held, which was called the "European Championship".

In 1908, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) developed and fixed the main distances for holding competitions, as well as the procedure for conducting heats.

Swimming styles in the pool

In sports swimming, there are 4 styles:

Crawl is the fastest form of swimming, which is characterized by alternating and symmetrical movements of the arms and legs. Each arm makes a wide stroke along the axis of the swimmer's body, while the legs alternately rise and fall.

The front crawl is a swimming style that is visually very similar to the front crawl. The athlete also performs alternating arm strokes with alternating raising and lowering of the legs, but swims on his back and carries out a straight arm sweep over the water.

Breaststroke is a type of swimming in which the athlete lies on his chest, and performs symmetrical movements with his arms and legs in a plane that is parallel to the water surface.

Butterfly is one of the most technically difficult and tiring types of swimming. When moving with a butterfly, the athlete makes a wide and powerful stroke, lifting the swimmer's body above the water, and the legs and pelvis make wave-like movements. It is considered the second fastest after the crawl.

In swimming, there is a freestyle, which is usually understood as a discipline in which an athlete is allowed to swim in any way. Nowadays, all athletes use crawl as it is the fastest style.

Pool

Swimming pool - a rectangular bath designed for practicing water sports sports. For sports swimming, the dimensions of the pool must be:

• 50 meters long and 25 meters wide (for tracks 2.5 meters wide);
• 50 meters long and 21 meters wide (for 10 tracks 2 meters wide);
• 25 meters long and 16 meters wide (for 8 lanes 1.9 meters wide);
• 25 meters long and 11 meters wide (for 6 lanes 1.75 meters wide);
• 25 meters long and 8.5 meters wide (for 5 lanes 1.6 meters wide).

According to FINA rules, bathtubs must be 50 meters long and 25 meters wide. The pool should be divided into 8 lanes.

The strips of tracks are separated from each other by dividing garlands of floats with a diameter of 5-15 cm. The first and last 5 meters of each of them consist of red floats. The rest of the space is filled with green floats for 1 and 8 lanes, blue for 2, 3, 6 and 7 lanes and yellow color for 4 and 5 tracks.

The water temperature should be between 25 - 29 degrees.

Equipment

Swimwear is designed to provide maximum comfort, as well as reduce water resistance. Swimming equipment includes:

• A swimming cap is a headgear for swimming in water that protects the swimmer's hair from chlorinated water. Swimming caps are: latex, silicone, fabric and combined.
• Swimming trunks or sports swimsuit - shorts for swimming made of a special material (polyamide with the addition of lycra or a mixture of polyester and PBT).
• Swimming goggles are an accessory for sports swimming, which is designed to provide normal vision under water, and also protect the eyes from chlorine fumes.

Refereeing in swimming

The chief referee is responsible for conducting swimming competitions, and also heads the panel of judges.

Starter - calls the athletes to the start, checks the correctness of the occupied starting positions and gives the command to start.

Timekeeper - measures the time of the swim participant on a certain track from start to finish.

The judge at the finish line - determines the order in which the participants arrive at the finish line, in the absence of an automated system for determining the winners.

Judge at the turn - determines the correctness of the turns on the track allotted to him.

Technical judge - monitors the technique of the corresponding swimming style.

Competition system

At modern official competitions, there are morning and evening programs. The morning program includes preliminary swims, the results of which determine the participants in the semi-finals and finals (evening program).