Scientific Research and Service: The Role of a Swimming Science Committee

The previous issue of "The Paralympian" (No. 4/2000) featured an article on race analysis for the swimming events at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. This research project was made possible with a grant from the International Olympic Committee and with the additional financial assistance of Dr. Robert Steadward (University of Alberta), Dr. Dan Daly (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), the British Swimming Federation, and the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (Belgium). Anne Green, Chairperson IPC Swimming, and Dr. Jarrod Meerkin (Queensland University of Technology / Australian Paralympic Committee Sports Science Research Coordinating Centre) coordinated the project. In this article, Dr. Dan Daly, Swimming Science Officer IPC Swimming, gives a glimpse into the work of the Swimming Science Committee.

With the reports from the race analysis, swimmers and coaches were able to determine where differences in the race were made, compared with their direct opponents and between heats and finals. Coaches’ reactions ranged from extreme gratitude to "there is so much paper I do not have time to study it all". The real job of a Swimming Science Committee does not stop with organizing projects at high profile events such as the Paralympics. Coaches who are not familiar with such race analysis need the chance to learn about it. If coaches consider this analysis useful, they will find ways to get it done again at regional or world championships. Analysis has to be organized more often, even at a less sophisticated technological level. In able-bodied swimming, such analysis is in fact commonplace from national championships upwards.

In 1996, under the direction of Dr. Fin Biering-Sorensen of Denmark, a Swimming Science Committee was formed with the express goal of channeling the various requests to do research at IPC swimming events. This committee will not only act on research proposals, but will put forward priority questions and provide guidance for those who might want to pursue these questions. Other tasks will be to assist in the development of educational materials (video and CD-ROM) for coaches, classifiers and technical advisors. Committee members usually have the privilege of being employed by institutions of higher education and have an army of young enthusiastic students who just need to be pointed in the right direction.