Swimming

Swimming techniques evolve constantly as swimmers search for ways to improve their performances. During the late 1980s American swimmer David Berkoff perfected a technique called the underwater dolphin. He found that he could swim faster by staying under water, streamlining his body, and dolphin-kicking on his back for about 30 to 40 m (33 to 43 yd). Eventually, backstroke and butterfly swimmers adopted the technique. The result was that swimmers spent much of their races under water. In 1998 FINA limited the distance a swimmer could swim under water to 15 m at the start and after each turn, returning emphasis to stroke technique.

International events featured several new formats during the 1990s. The 1998 Goodwill Games used a highly successful dual meet format in which teams competed against each other in a round-robin tournament. In several countries, including Brazil and Australia, events that feature competitive swimmers racing for cash and prizes are popular with television audiences.

In open water swimming, Australia’s Susie Maroney performed several feats previously thought impossible. In 1997 she became the first person to swim the 169-km (105-mi) strait between Havana, Cuba, and Key West, Florida. The following year she completed a 206-km (128-mi) swim from Isla Mujeres, Mexico, to Las Tumbas beach in Cuba. In 1999 Maroney swam the 160-km (100-mi) distance from Jamaica to Cuba.