General patterns of swimming performance

Abstract

Background: Different variables affect the achievement of performance in the absolute category. There is great controversy about the effect of early specialization in obtaining performance in later categories.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of early specialization in swimming. In addition, to observe the progression of the Spanish and American swimmers who have participated in the final in the World Championships in the junior category, checking if they manage to obtain performance in the finals of the Olympic Games and the Absolute World Championships between the years 2006 and 2021 of all the styles and distances.

Method: The final database is made up of 268 swimmers. Descriptive analyzes such as counting, contingency tables were carried out to know the total number of swimmers according to gender and category, also to know the number of swimmers in each style according to the competition and the country they belong to, and finally to the mean time of each trial.

Results: The results showed a greater number of finalist swimmers from the USA in all styles of the competitions, and with a greater number of participants in freestyle. Of the junior swimmers 77 (28.41%) only 7 (2.58%) swimmers reached the finals of the Junior World Championships, the Absolute World Championships and the Olympic Games.

Conclusions: In conclusion, being a finalist in the junior World Championships does not influence success in the finals of the absolute World Championships and the Olympic Games for Spanish and American swimmers.

Keywords: early specialization, swimming, talent, performance