Sports software speeds swimmers

New software is allowing swimmers to improve a key aspect of their technique more quickly and effectively than was previously possible.

Developed by sports scientists at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Aquatics Research and Education and Sheffield Hallam University, the software provides instant in-depth feedback on a swimmer's glide technique.

Swimmers glide after starts and turns when they are not moving their arms or legs but using only momentum to travel through the water.

The system supplies data on head position, body posture and alignment and suggests ways in which a swimmer can minimise resistance and pinpoint the optimum moment to begin kicking.

The technology received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in collaboration with UK Sport. Once tested and validated, it should be available to swimmers throughout the UK within 12 months.

The new system offers two key benefits beyond the capabilities of any other currently used in elite swimming training, according to its creators.

Firstly, the feedback it generates is available immediately so that swimmers and coaches can use it poolside and implement recommendations while a training session is still in progress.

Secondly, it generates data of unprecedented quality in terms of detail and accuracy. The result will be more efficient gliding and faster race times.

"The difference between winning an Olympic title and finishing out of the medals is often measured in hundredths of a second, so this innovative software could give British swimmers a valuable edge in their quest for glory," the researchers stated.

The swimmer is marked at their body joints using water-resistant markers. The swimmer is then videoed in action using underwater and poolside cameras, and the images are fed into a computer.

The software tracks the movements of the markers and runs the digitised position data through a highly sophisticated mathematical model developed at the University of Edinburgh by Dr Roozbeh Naemi.

A replay of the swim appears instantly on a plasma screen at the poolside, overwritten with graphs and data on different technical aspects of the glide.