What it Takes to Enter the Olympics Swimming
By Kaitlyn Xu
Have you ever watched the Olympics swimming and said, “Hey, I want to do that too?” It’s not as easy as you think. You have to train your whole life and go through many hardships, starting with the qualification of the Olympic trials.
Most people don’t have enough strength to keep going. Swimming is an especially tiring sport, because you have to drag your whole body weight through the water while barely getting any time to breathe. Swimming is about not giving up and persevering, especially if you want to go to the Olympics.
“It’s really tiring each day getting up to swim for such a long time.” said Cierra Xue, who engages in competitive swimming.
Swimming is not only about strength, it’s also about speed. Top male swimmers can swim 50 meters in about 21 seconds. The swimmer also has to make sure their position is correct and that they are using the right tactics.
“It’s really hard actually. You have to think ‘Did I forget this, or that?’ constantly to make sure you’re doing everything correctly, “ Xue said.
A swimmer with hopes of going to the Olympics, must finish first or second at the Olympic Trials within a time limit.
Some tips for swimming faster are to reduce the drag and to work on your kicks. Swimming faster also uses less moves, so it saves some energy. You have a limited amount of strength, so use it efficiently. Work on your balance so your body does not waste as much energy on resisting the water. Kicking correctly is very important because when done right, they can give you both propulsion and balance.
Swimming may look very thrilling, but once you start you realize that there are many other things to the sport. For example, obstacles, injuries, and thoughts of giving up all affect a swimmer’s journey. Before you start swimming, think about yourself and your physical strength. Swimming might not be the right sport if you don’t have much energy and tend to give up easily.
“I sometimes feel like giving up if not for my parents’ encouragement. It’s really annoying, thinking of another day doing the same things, especially when it’s so tiring. “ Xue said.
Most people don’t have enough strength to keep going. Swimming is an especially tiring sport, because you have to drag your whole body weight through the water while barely getting any time to breathe. Swimming is about not giving up and persevering, especially if you want to go to the Olympics.
“It’s really tiring each day getting up to swim for such a long time.” said Cierra Xue, who engages in competitive swimming.
Swimming is not only about strength, it’s also about speed. Top male swimmers can swim 50 meters in about 21 seconds. The swimmer also has to make sure their position is correct and that they are using the right tactics.
“It’s really hard actually. You have to think ‘Did I forget this, or that?’ constantly to make sure you’re doing everything correctly, “ Xue said.
A swimmer with hopes of going to the Olympics, must finish first or second at the Olympic Trials within a time limit.
Some tips for swimming faster are to reduce the drag and to work on your kicks. Swimming faster also uses less moves, so it saves some energy. You have a limited amount of strength, so use it efficiently. Work on your balance so your body does not waste as much energy on resisting the water. Kicking correctly is very important because when done right, they can give you both propulsion and balance.
Swimming may look very thrilling, but once you start you realize that there are many other things to the sport. For example, obstacles, injuries, and thoughts of giving up all affect a swimmer’s journey. Before you start swimming, think about yourself and your physical strength. Swimming might not be the right sport if you don’t have much energy and tend to give up easily.
“I sometimes feel like giving up if not for my parents’ encouragement. It’s really annoying, thinking of another day doing the same things, especially when it’s so tiring. “ Xue said.
Kaitlyn Xu is Session 1 participant of the First to the Frontpage Summer of 2021 program.