Despite literature on the pacing strategies of endurance sports, there is an existing lack of knowledge about the swimmers’ tactical decisions in the open water races. The aims of the present research were (1) to compare the pacing profiles and tactical strategies of successful elite open water swimmers (men and women) in the 5-km, 10-km, and 25-km races and (2) to relate these pacing strategies to the end race results. Intermediate split times, positions and gaps with leaders of the first ten swimmers classified in the 2017 FINA World Swimming Championships races were collected from the public domain and were related to the finishing positions. Overall swimming velocities of the 5-km races were faster than the 10-km (δ 0.03 ± 0.03 m/s) and the 25-km (δ 0.14 ± 0.01 m/s) events with male swimmers achieving relatively faster mean velocities than females in the 5-km (δ 0.12 ± 0.01 m/s) compared to the 25-km (δ 0.08 ± 0.01 m/s) events. Medallist swimmers achieved moderate faster overall velocities than finalists in the 25-km races (0.01 ± 0.01 m/s) only. Inter-level differences were detected in selected splits for each race distance. Pacing profiles presented lap to lap velocity improvements in the 5-km and men’s 10-km races (from +0.02 ± 0.00 to +0.11 ± 0.01 m/s) but also mid-race decreases in the women’s 10-km and on the 25-km races. Successful swimmers were located in the leading positions of the 5-km races but at mid-group in the first part of the 10-km and 25-km races, with time gaps with leaders of 15–20 s. Faster lap swimming velocities, mid-race leading positions and shorter time-gaps were only related to the finishing positions in the last lap of the 10-km and in the three last laps of the 25-km events, but also in the first lap of the women’s 5-km race. Despite different mid-race positioning, successful open water swimmers typically presented negative pacing profiles, a consistent control of mid-race gaps with leaders (15–20 s maximum) and great spurts (4–6% faster than mean race velocities) at the end of races. Coaches and swimmers should be aware of the different race dynamics depending to the event distance in order to select optimal race strategies.

Purpose: To (1) compare the pacing strategies of different-level open-water swimmers during the 10-km race of the FINA 2015 Swimming World Championships and (2) relate these pacing strategies to the race performance. Methods: Final and intermediate split times, as well as intermediate race positions, from the 10-km race participants (69 men and 51 women) were collected from the public domain and were divided into 5 groups (G1–G5) depending on their finishing positions. Results: Medalists and finalists (G1 and G2, respectively) presented an even pacing profile with swimming velocities similar to those of the less successful swimmers (G3–G5) on the initial and middle stages of the race but a 1.5–3% increase in swimming velocity in the last quarter of the race. This acceleration toward the end of the race, or “end spurt,” was largely related to the race performance and was not observed in the G3 and G4 (even-paced profile) or G5 (positive pacing profile) groups. Intermediate race positions and lap rankings were negatively related to finishing position, indicating a delayed positioning of the most successful swimmers at 25%, 50%, and 75% of race distance. Conclusions: The adoption of a conservative starting strategy by open-water swimmers with a negative pacing profile and delayed partial positioning seems to increase the chances of overall race success, as it allows a fast end spurt that is closely related to successful finishing race positions.

The aim of the present research was to examine the stroking rate (SR) values of successful and non-successful swimmers in the 10 km and 25 km races of the FINA 2019 World Swimming Championships. Data from 175 participants (95 men and 80 female) were classified according to their finishing positions. There were no meaningful differences in the overall SR values displayed by successful or non-successful participants during the 10 km and 25 km open water races of the FINA 2019 World Swimming Championships. However, there were changes in the SR throughout the races that depended on the swimmer’s performance group and gender. Successful swimmers in the 10 km event typically displayed even SR in the first 5 km but, unlike the remaining performance groups, increased their SR at some point in the second 5 km of the race. In the 25 km race, successful female swimmers presented an even SR profile for most of the race, whereas successful males presented a more variable profile. Nevertheless, no relationships between partial or average SR and finishing positions occurred, either in the 10 km or in the 25 km race. Changes in the SR values should be included in the race plan of open water swimmers according to tactical and pacing strategies.

Purpose: To analyze the evolution of the world ranking in swimming over the last 10 years, with particular attention to the effects of COVID-19 on the different levels of participating athletes. Methods: The top 200 world-ranked entries in all swimming events (50-m pool) were collected from 2013 to 2022. A mathematical model (Gaussian model) was proposed to evaluate the ranking progression for different performance levels (clusters) according to distance, stroke, and gender. The model was applied both with and without the COVID season data. Results: Overall results indicated a general progression in world rankings over the last 10 years, except for the COVID season and the post-Olympic year(s), with peak results in the 2021 postpandemic (Olympic) year. The gender gap in World Aquatics points scoring has shown an increasing gap in favor of males since 2017, reaching 1.5% in 2022. The top 200 positions of world rankings were grouped into 3 different clusters defined by the 23.3%, 66.5%, and 100% of ranked male swimmers (or 31.5%, 72.5%, and 100% for females) and with average World Aquatics scores of 910 (12), 858 (10) and 816 (11) points (907 [13], 847 [11], and 802 [12] for females). The Gaussian model showed a gap averaging ∼21 to ∼36 points between performance curves with or without COVID season data, with larger gaps for female rankings and cluster-3 swimmers. Conclusions: These results suggest that, given the lower relative performance of female swimmers in the different clusters of world rankings, female events may provide an opportunity to enter international-level swimming.

The pacing and tactical race strategies of open water (OW) swimmers have been recognized as significant performance determinants in these events, despite the limited resolution of available race data due to the aquatic environment constraints. The main objective of the study was to re-examine the pacing strategies and race tactics of elite OW swimmers from new enhanced temporal resolution data during the 2022 World Championships (WCH). Data were collected from 58 males and 58 females participants classified into 5 performance groups (G1-G5) depending on their finishing positions. Average velocity, stroke rate, and partial positions were obtained for each swimmer in 17 timing points over the 10 km race (on average 550 m or 5.5% of the race distance). The pacing strategies of successful swimmers, especially men, showed a less conservative behaviour than previous WCH with leading race positions (at least top-6) from the race early stages and a lower race density (approximate to 2%) upon arrival. The enhanced temporal resolution race data showed greater pacing variations as well as end race spurts over a shorter distance than previously reported for successful competitors. These results describe a partly new paradigm in OW race strategies compared to previous race data with low temporal resolution.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the differences in shoulder ultrasonographic parameters between overhead aquatic athletes and their relationship with shoulder pain. Methods: Sixty-four healthy junior subjects (n = 128 shoulders) participated in the study, including 17 healthy controls, 25 elite junior swimmers, and 22 elite junior water polo players. An ultrasonographic study of the shoulder was carried out to measure the thickness of the rotator cuff structures in sex- and age-paired groups. Results: Compared to controls, female and male swimmers and water polo players had thicker values in the rotator cuff tendons, including the subscapularis (SSB) (p < 0.001), supraspinatus (p < 0.001), infraspinatus (p < 0.001) and teres minor (Tm) (p < 0.025). The female swimmers had thicker values than the water polo players in the SSB (p < 0.001) and Tm (p < 0.011). In the comparison by sexes, the female controls had a thinner LHBB, SSB and Tm (p < 0.019), the female swimmers had a thinner ISP (p = 0.001), and the female water polo players had a thinner LHBB, SSB, ISP and acromiohumeral distance than their group-paired counterparts (p < 0.018). Finally, the females had a lower incidence of positive Jobe test results compared to the males (p = 0.018), which was associated with lower pain scores at rest (p < 0.034) and during training (p < 0.036). Conclusions: The rotator cuff tendon structures were larger in the healthy overhead aquatic athletes compared to the age- and sex-paired controls. The females had smaller values in the shoulder ultrasonographic tendon parameters compared to the age- and sport-paired males, except for the supraspinatus tendon.