Swimming technical analysis and tracking performance status of young competitive swimmers via underwater camera system

Swimming is a synchronized movement's series of which aerobic and anaerobic sustainable strength, power and endurance combined with technical skills. Basically, it consists of four techniques that are front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly stroke technique including mechanical differences. One of the most important differences between these four techniques is velocity that it known as a high performance component. Thus while front crawl technique is the fastest one, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly stroke technique are fast as well. Determining the variables that effected to the swimming performance and improve it has an important and very current issue in sport science. In the present study, we aimed to perform the swimming analysis and examine the relationship between variables that could affect the results of sportive performance of competitive swimmers who has been selected to the project of Olympic Preparation Centers of Turkey, so called TOHM, by underwater and above-water recording and analyzing system for five months training season. This research was carried out with 20 female who were 9-15 years, 1,57±0,08m length, 48,42±8,79kg body weight and 22 male 9-16 years, 1,65±0,15m length, 58,18±13,78kg body weight adolescent swimmer. Not only the 100m maximum swimming test but also tumble turn, in-water gliding and starts performances of the swimmers were recorded with an underwater camera system of which can record 100fps. Analyzes of these video records were done with Cukurova University Underwater Analyze program. As results of five-month evaluations, we found that there is a significance increase in height, length, diameter and circumference of limbs, body weight and the motor skills of both female and male swimmers. But it seems that the developments relating to the swimming have not been clear as like as the other parameters. The developments of the swimmers' swimming performance that are believed to be in the growth and maturation stage are not lucid whether depend on their training program or growth and maturation stage. But the results that compared with literature data shows that the effects of growth and maturation have more dominant impact on the swimming performance for this age group.