When I was still swimming in the late 90's and when I was lifeguarding at the Rec (00 -- 02) swimmers were breathing on odd numbered strokes so they were breathing on both sides. Watching the Olympics however, the freestylers are breathing every other stroke (so always on the same side). When did this change and what was the reason?

I remember being told that breathing on alternating sides made the stroke more even. Everyone in the pool looks lopsided. Fast as hell, but lopsided...

Kids are coached from an early stage to breathe on both sides. It serves a good purpose - to balance the stroke.

But as they get to elite levels many as you noticed do not do that. Phelps breathes on one side and most of the time breathes every stroke.

I think these guys are just going so fast they need the oxygen. They have done millions of reptitions with one sided breathing and it isn't a problem. Jason Lezak has a strong lope to his stroke. Phelps does too.

I was wondering if the need for the extra oxygen was now out-weighing the desire for an even balanced stroke.

I was just supprised since even when I was running console at a USA Swimming Zone meet a few years back ('02) everyone 100M -- 1600M were breathing every 3 or 5.

I'm guessing that all of this has been studied at the US Olympic training center in Denver? Beijing has an elevation of ~145ft so thats obviously not an issue.

at this point they are so fast it does not matter any more...and it is a comfort thing...I don’t think it has anything to do with needing more oxygen...and if you look at it every one of them has something jacked up about there stroke, kick, breathing, start, and or finish...watching that made the coach in me die a little...a lot of them went against everything any one ever coaches...but like I said they are so fast and have been doing it for so long that is does not matter... it is like Jeff Bagwell and his batting stance...he would always say never hit like me...but he was so good with it

I think these guys breathe every 2 because they need air. They all know it is faster not to breathe but the fact they do as often as they do says something about their level of effort.

One thing that is pretty consistent is how good their form is underwater. Their elbow position and vertical foream is clear on all the good freestylers. Fantastic underwater cameras in Beijing to show it all.

Interesting too to see who has good walls. We all know Phelps is good. It is interesting how poor Hansen's are. Peirsol's are average too.

My sister and I were talking about this last night. Both having swam competitively our entire lives. We came to the conclusion that most probably still breathe on both sides in training for the balance aspect people have mentioned. This is less about speed and more about avoiding bad habits or injuries caused from "leaning" on one side. When sprinting at top speed power and speed can overide balance and efficiency.

You LG'd at the Rec? I was a LG from '99-'02. My handle should give me away.

I prefer watching a more balanced freestyle (lope-free) but there seem to be a lot of lopers. Phelps has such an amazing kick and is so powerful underwater. His ankles and feet do abnormal things - built-in fins.

Log, I actually wasn't there very long. I was hired in Fall of '01, but ended up interning through Spring '02. I worked there Fall '02 and about half way through the following Spring.

kennith did you live in more hall?

More? no

Moore? Yes

o what ever...lol...i lived there in 2002 i was a fish...was a bench****

Well, I probably screened you in the Fall of '01.

Might have. A few summers before I had guarded back home for Elizabeth and we ran into each other in the Rec one day and she told me to apply. I honestly don't remember much about the screening/tryouts. I was coming down with something and felt like dying that evening.

kids are trained from a very young age to alternate breath so that their strokes will be balanced, as was said earlier.

so kids train from age 10ish-18ish, 8 years of solid alternate breathing, balanced stroke, and all that good stuff. when they get older, they can breath only to one side in a race, and their stroke remains balanced because they have practiced it so much. If a kid were to spend his entire swimming career only breathing to one side, his troke would be horribly lopsided (typically)

Its almost like since theyve trained alternate breathing their whole lives, and have committed that balanced stroke to muscle memory, one-side breathing in races is not going to damage their stroke, so it doesnt make them slower

The fact is no matter how much you train alternate breathing, you are always going to be better on on side than the other (maintaining body position, six-beat kick, high elbow, head position, etc.). You can cost yourself tenths of a second in a race by breathing to your weak side, which is a lot, especially in the shorter events. This is the reason why most coaches train their swimmers to breath to their strong side during a race, even if they do something different during aerobic sets in practice.

Log - I was a LG there most of the time you were 99-02. I'm your middle brother's age. I'm sure you can guess from my handle.

I think the last time I saw any of you guys was at a wedding about 3-4 years ago.

H2O - A.C.? You still up in the DFW area?

That's me, but I moved to NY city a year and a half ago. Are you still in DFW?

Cool. Yeah, still here. You're not missing much. DFW is DFW.