Swimming
The sport that won't give you concussions
How was Swimming created?
Prehistoric man learned to swim to cross rivers and lakes. We know this because of the cave paintings found from the Stone Age in Egypt depicting man swimming. Swimming is also referred to in Greek mythology. It was not practiced widely until the 19th century, when the National Swimming Society in Great Britian began holding competitions.
What do you need?
The basic equipment a competitive swimmer needs are goggles, caps for your hair, practice suits for workouts, and a mesh bag to hold your equipment in. Some other helpful things are kick boards, fins, paddles, and pull buoys to enchance your body position when swimming.
Country of origin
As mentioned before, it originated in Egypt because of the proof in hieroglyphics. There are pictures of what appear to be breaststroke and doggy paddle style swimmers. There are multiple pictures and baths in Pompeii and Babylon that also show swimming techniques.
Famous Athletes
Alfred Hajos
He was a Hungarian swimmer who competed in the Olympics, winning in the 100m freestyle. He was the first person to win a gold medal.
Mark Spitz
In the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, he won seven gold medals in the swimming category.
Kristin Otto
Hailing from East Germany, Kristin won six gold medals in Seoul, becoming the first woman to ever win six gold medals.
Rules and regulations
There are multiple different rule books for competitive swimming. The code of conduct is one of these, which states all the violations and mannerisms the swimmer must follow. Some of the violations are:
~ The use of illegal drugs in the presence of an athlete, by a coach, official, or any person in authority over the athlete.
~ Bullying of an athlete who has a position of authority over the athlete.
~ Any act of fraud, deception or dishonesty in connection with any USA swimming- related activity.
Safety concerns
If the water is contaminated in a swimming pool, you can fall ill to a recreational water illness (RWI). RWIs are germs that you have contact with in contaminated swimming pools, hot tubs, etc. They can be a wide variety of infections like ear or respiratory. To prevent RWIs, don't swallow any water in a pool, shower before getting in, and drink plenty of fluids.