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The Perfect Race How did they do it?

Ever wondered how great swims happen? Is it the stroke rate? The time off the blocks? The flip-turns? Check in each month as we analyze a new perfect race in swimming history, pointing out all the important factors that were critical in producing these great swims. All data and race analysis will be submitted by the USA Swimming National Team Technical Support staff.

This month's race is Gary Hall's and Anthony Ervin's gold-medal swim in the 50m free at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

September 22, 2000 Sydney, Australia, the Olympic Games
Read the article below, then watch the video of the race.

The Scene is Set
17,000 electrified swimming fans fell silent as the finalists for the men's 50m freestyle stepped onto the blocks. In just over 20 seconds, the title of "world's fastest man" would be claimed by one of the eight athletes whose eyes were now focused on the end of the pool. This was the fastest field in the history of the sport, requiring a time of 22.36 to gain the final qualifying spot.

The rest of the world made huge strides in 2000, and a series of breakthroughs had eliminated decades of dominance by the Americans in the men's sprint events. In the spring, Alexander Popov shattered Tom Jager's world record in the 50m free, becoming the first non-American to hold the record in that event. On the first day of Olympic competition, the Australian men's 400m free relay team became the first non-American team in Olympic history to win the gold. Earlier at these Games, Michael Klim, and then Pieter van den Hoogenband, bettered Popov's world record in the 100m freestyle.

Was the world passing the U.S. men's sprinters by? There was just one race left for the U.S. to show its speed - the men's 50 free.

Two American swimmers were on the blocks for this final. However, several factors led most fans to feel that any medal by a U.S. swimmer would be a victory. Gary Hall was an Olympic hero in Atlanta and the top qualifier in Lane 4, but had been struggling in recent months with his diabetes.

At age 19, Anthony Ervin was more than four years younger than anyone else in the race. He was dismissed by many as a "kid in a man's event." On top of that, his only major long course competition had been a solid showing at the U.S. Olympic Trials. The focus of the media was on van den Hoogenband in Lane 5 and Popov in Lane 6.

The Start
The starting tone sounded, and the field exploded from the blocks. Both Ervin and Hall used a track start, with their heads down and forward on the blocks and the right leg forward (only one other finalist used a track start). Both were first to extend over and enter the water. Their hands came forward quickly in flight, and their heads stayed down on an even plane with the their shoulders.

Their push was angled down toward the water to maximize velocity toward the entry and reduce the potential for a deep entry. Gary began a strong flutter kick and was up first in 2.03 seconds with a perfect transition from dive to swim.

Anthony's line of travel underwater was deeper, and he started his flutter kick after a very short glide, finishing with two dolphin kicks. His transition to swimming began a little too far under water, and he carried less starting velocity into the swim portion of the race. Anthony broke the surface in 2.39 seconds, behind Gary and several others in the race.

The Sprinters' Strokes
All competitors used an extremely powerful flutter kick during the entire race. The overall stroke technique, however, was very different across the lanes. Gary's stroke was long and smooth with a high elbow recovery and very little side-to-side motion. His hands cleared any air bubbles right at entry, in spite of an extremely fast cycle rate for someone 6 feet, 6 inches tall.

His stroke came directly under his body, and he maintained a very propulsive hand position with fingers pointing to the bottom until his hand exited the water past his hips. Gary kept a flat body position with a short quick rotation that began as his arm stroke approached his rib cage and accelerated the hand through the finish phase. The body position helped him maintain a high cycle rate, and the rotation used the core of his body to accelerate through the stroke pattern.

Anthony's stroke was similar to Hall's in that it was long and smooth with a high elbow recovery. The differences under water are significant. Ervin's arm stroke shows very little bend from entry to finish. This results in a very deep hand position under his body that generates a lot of force. His right arm has a stroke pattern that sculls outward from entry, but returns quickly under the body at his shoulder. The left arm stroke pattern is straight from the entry to the finish with very little inward or outward scull. The right hand carries some air bubbles from the entry and this probably reduces the effectiveness of that pull. Anthony's body rotation is unique to the field. He uses a similar degree of body roll, but it is timed earlier in the stroke cycle. He begins his rotation shortly after hand entry, which allows him to connect his arm stroke to the power of the core of his body rather than relying on arms and shoulders.

Head Position
Both swimmers' heads moved very little during the race and were positioned high in the water. Gary's head was in line with his body, looking forward with the water level right at his cap line. Anthony carried his head slightly above his bodyline, tucking his chin to maintain balance and looking almost directly down at the bottom. Gary took one breath at the 30-meter mark and Anthony did not breath during the race.

Meanwhile, Back at the Race
At 25 meters, Popov had taken a slight lead over Hall and van den Hoogenband, while Ervin hit the mark in sixth place, still trying to make up ground from the start. As the swimmers charged toward the wall, cycle rates began to slow across the field, and gaps began to close. With 15 meters left, Popov still held a noticeable advantage, while it was too close to call between Hall and van den Hoogenband. Ervin, meanwhile, had closed to fourth with the rest of the field. It was now a question of who could get their hand on the wall first.

Break It Down: By the Numbers Explanation of Race Analysis Terms

GARY HALL

Dist.

Breakout, (sec)

Break Dist.

Split, (sec)

Drop-off

Cycle Count

Time

Tempo/ Rate

DPC, (M/C.)

Velocity, (M/sec)

Turn Time, (sec)

50

2.03

7.5

21.98

-

19.5

21.98

59.0 (1.02)

2.18

2.08

-

15 M Start= 5.27        15 m Velocity= 2.85 m/sec
7.5 M Finish= 3.52     7.5 m Velocity= 2.13 m/sec

Free Swimming Time: 19.95 (90.8 %) Time spent under water: 2.03 (9.2 %)
Turns Time: N/A  Under water distance swum: 7.5 (15.0 %) Total Cycles taken: 19.5

ANTHONY ERVIN

Dist.

Breakout, (sec)

Break Dist.

Split, (sec)

Drop-off

Cycle Count

Time

Tempo/ Rate

DPC, (M/C.)

Velocity, (M/sec)

Turn Time, (sec)

50

2.39

7.75

21.98

-

19.5

21.98

59.7 (1.01)

2.17

2.08

-

15 M Start= 5.33        15 m Velocity= 2.81 m/sec
7.5 M Finish= 3.46     7.5 m Velocity= 2.17 m/sec

Free Swimming Time: 19.59 (89.1 %) Time spent under water: 2.39 (10.9 %)
Turns Time: N/A  Under water distance swum: 7.75 (15.5 %) Total Cycles taken: 19.5

The Finish
There is no other race in swimming where the start and the finish are as important as the swimming portion itself. A race can be won or lost in these crucial phases of the 50. At 15 meters, the swimmers focused on holding their speed through the finish and timing their last arm stroke to touch the pad in rhythm. The field closed in the last five meters, and it was impossible to discern the top six swimmers with the naked eye. Every head in the building turned quickly to look at the large scoreboard at the other end of the pool to see the results from the electronic timing. A murmur went up as two "1s" appeared on the scoreboard indicating a tie for the gold, and after a pause in which everyone matched the names to the places, a cheer erupted from the stands and pool. The U.S. swimmers had tied for the gold medal.

This is race is a remarkable example of how finishing technique can reverse the results of 45 meters of swimming. Several medals were won and lost in the last two seconds of the men's 50 freestyle in Sydney. With five meters left, Popov and van den Hoogenband still had a slight, but noticeable advantage. Ervin and Hall took two smooth controlled cycles, driving their hands forward and rolling on to their sides with their fingers outstretched on the last arm stroke. The timing was perfect, allowing them to maintain a strong kick and extend every inch of their bodies to the wall. As their hands came forward, Gary seems to have a slight advantage, but his head comes up slightly, just inches before his hand touches the wall. This action pulls his hand back slightly, while Anthony keeps his ear glued to his shoulder, taking the most direct line to the wall. Both touch with their fingertips even with their bodyline.

The heads of Popov and van den Hoogenband are still the closest to the wall at the touch, but neither had perfect finishes. Van den Hoogenband had good position but initiated his last stroke too close to the wall, so he was not fully extended when his fingers touched .04 seconds behind Gary and Anthony to claim the bronze medal. Popov, the defending Olympic champion from Barcelona and Atlanta, chose to use a dolphin kick on his final stroke and lifted his head well before his hand reached the wall, an action that cost him a third medal in the event. He finished sixth, over .2 seconds behind the medalists.

Wrapping it up
The tie was the second of the Games for the U.S. (Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson tied for the bronze in the women's 100m free) and the first tie for a gold medal since Los Angeles in 1984, when U.S. teammates Carrie Steinseifer and Nancy Hogshead tied in the 100m freestyle. The result was perfect for the United States, making the difference between a great meet performance and one of the best in history (33 medals: 14 gold, 8 silver, and 11 bronze).

This race wasn't a personal best time for either swimmer, and both would probably see things they could have done better. However, it did include the perfect finish at the perfect time for Anthony and Gary. This was the men's 50m freestyle at the Olympic games, and regardless of time, the athlete who gets his hand on the wall first has had the perfect race.

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