“Swimmers, take your marks, GO!” I plunge into the deep blue sea of water and return to the surface short of breath. One arm, then the next. Breath, stroke, stroke, breath. Approaching closely is the other end, the wall. One last breath and then the flip. Water seeps into my nose and I once again return to the surface short of breath. Again, the same thing is repeated. Breath, stroke, stroke, breath. As I inch toward the wall, a shock of energy leaps through my body. I am now moving faster and faster by the second. I touch the wall completely out of breath and look around me, no one is there. They are all behind me. VICTORY!

You may think that swimming takes no skill what so ever and there, you are very wrong. There is a lot more to swimming than moving your arms in circles and kicking. The flip turn takes precise movements and if your foot touches the ground you are disqualified. You have to be smooth yet fast coming and leaving the wall or else you lose all of your speed. Each pull with your arm requires strength, and each kick is in need of power. One wrong move can cost you the race, and sometimes the gold. Although, you get a warning before you are disqualified.

All in all, if you think swimming is lame and effortless, come out and give it a try. You will think very differently about racing when you actually do it. "The water is your friend.....you don't have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move".
Alexandr Popov