The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined tactical positioning and pacing in short-distance (100 m), middle-distance (200 m, 400 m) and long-distance (800 m, 1,500 m) freestyle events, focusing on the influence of race distance, competition round (HEAT vs. FINAL), and sex.

Methods: Race data from multiple World Championships (2013-2023) were analyzed. Spearman's rank correlations (ρ) were calculated to examine rank stability across race distances, competition rounds, and sex. Additionally, lane distributions of Top3 finishers were analyzed to assess the impact of lane position on race outcomes.

Results: Rank correlations increased progressively from the first to the final lap across all race distances (p < 0.05). Long-distance events exhibited earlier rank stabilization, with correlations reaching ρ ≥ 0.90 by 50% race completion, whereas middle-distance events showed greater positional variability throughout. Rank correlations were lower in FINALS than in HEATS (p < 0.05), indicating greater positional shifts in high-stakes races. No significant sex-based differences were observed (p > 0.05). Central lanes (4 and 5) were associated with the highest Top3 finish rates, while outer lanes (0, 1, 8, and 9) had the lowest, particularly in long-distance events.

Conclusion: Finals foster more dynamic race strategies, with increased positional changes. Rank stability was achieved at a relatively earlier proportion of the race in long-distance events compared to middle-distance events. By the final lap, rank stability converged across all distances, suggesting that race order was largely set before the last lap, emphasizing early tactical positioning over late-race surges. These findings offer insights into optimizing race tactics and pacing in elite swimming.

Keywords: pacing; performance analysis; positioning; race strategy; rank order.

Figure 1

Median of Spearman's correlation coefficient ± interquartile range between the positioning at the various 50 m splits and the final rank for female freestyle swimmers. For the sake of readability, correlations coefficients are only indicated for every second split time.

Figure 2

Median of Spearman's correlation coefficient ± interquartile range between the positioning at the various 50 m splits and the final rank for male freestyle swimmers. For the sake of readability, correlations coefficients are only indicated for every second split time.

Figure 3

Mean rank at each 50 m split for the top 3 and non-top 3 for all race distances for both women and men. FIN, finals; HEAT, heats; Top3, swimmers who finished in the top 3 positions within their race; non-Top3, swimmers who did not finish in the top 3 positions within their race.