Clay Evans: "... Katie Hoff gave away the 400 free with horrible beginner's finish/ touch. She looped down and up touching with almost a completely flat hand like she did not want to break a nail. Meanwhile the Brit lunged forward plunging in a direct STRAIGHT line to the electronic pad making up at least one foot. It was plain as day in the under water shot. I was dumbfounded at that error.Erik Hockstein: "... This Katie Hoff finish will be replayed by American coaches for the next decade - yes, even a world-class swimmer can lose a 400 Free on a finish. This type of finish is actually more common than expected - I have seen this quite often at the elite level in the last few years.
My take: I am seeing people breathing off the walls, looking at each other under water, and people looking up as they glide into the wall for their touch. Is it hubris or coaching issues?
Here is an article from the Baltimore Sun regarding the 400 meter free: [Link]
10 comments:
Hey Tony:
Once again, underwater video reveals what no one would have known.
IMO – the underwater video has revealed numerous poor finishes into the wall in many races, so it’s apparent this is not being coached.
I don't know any coaches that use an underwater camera to coach finishes into the wall...do you??
Actually I do. I am coached on it at the Masters level. Rada Owen taught me. She was standing on the deck looking down at tmy touch.
Once you get to an elite level, do coaches not mind if you breath every 2? That's another thing I'm noticing with some of the races I watch.
Air is good!!! Erik and Clay spoke about that too. This every third stroke is nonsense especially if you have a stronger side to breathe to.
Everyone has to remember, yes these are the BEST of the BEST swimmers, but that does not mean they are perfect. In competition, the OLYMPICS especially, the last part of the race and finish comes down to all heart. When the body is failing and you are doing everything you can to get into the wall, you aren't so much thinking about technique. Is it right? No, but it is what it is.
FYI Michael Phelps' strokes are far from perfect. But he's Michael Phelps, so it doesn't really matter. That doesn't change that age group swimmers still need to be taught correct habits, such as NOT breathing every stroke on fly and finishing with your head down.
Thought you might get a kick out of the third post here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/More_Phelps__Worship_(photo)_P1930973/
LOL! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Saiyan
Katie Hoff did not finish the race well.
I think it's important to keep in mind what you think is correct or the right way to do something may not in fact be the most current technique. It's not good to be saying that breathing every 2 is bad, or that one shouldn't breathe every stroke in butterfly.
I think it's a great point that Michael has things to correct, as do all the swimmers at the Olympics.
when you're tired during a race, you revert to old habits... this is why you you want perfect technique at all times, especially at practice when you're tired.
imagine "oxygen" and "technique" like a "supply" and "demand" curve. as oxygen increase, technique decreases, but there is a happy medium where they intersect. this is true for every distance.
also, every good swimmer should be able to breath to both sides without having to worry about their stroke. if you listen to rowdy gaines during a race, he always talks about someone breathing to their right/left and cant see the person next to them catching up (sometimes its annoying cause thats all he ever talks about.) but, you do need to be able to throw in a breath to the opposite side and check out the competition.
Anon, I am not there yet, so I guess I am not very good. (But we all knew that.) ;-)
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