Magister Artium (Sport, Recreation and Exercise Science) - MA(SRES) / In swimming, a swimmer’s performance is mostly determined by the time spent on starts, stroking and turning. The start of a swimming races, especially sprint races, can account for almost a quarter of race time

Doctor Educationis / Background: In swimming, a swimmer’s performance is mostly determined by the time spent on starts, stroking and turning. The start of a swimming races, especially sprint races, can account for almost a quarter of race time. Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the biomechanics and performance of three start techniques off the OSB11 starting platform over 15-meters to determine which of the three is most effective when looking at the three parts that constitute the start: block time, flight time and underwater time. Methods: A Quasi-experimental cross over trial-based study design was used to determine which of three starting techniques (Grab, Track & Kick) was the most effective off the OSB11 starting block. Ten Swimmers who qualified for junior nationals from Vineyard Swimming Club participated in the study. Each participant acted as their own control and were required to perform each start once. All trials were filmed and analysed on Dartfish pro suite 10. The following variables were analysed: shoulder angle, hip angle, knee angle, reaction time, movement time, total block time, flight distance, flight time, flight velocity, entry angle, underwater time, underwater distance, time to 15-meters.