Over the generations since the 19th century, starts in pool and open water swimming competitions and channel crossings have taken various forms. Here is a look back…

In the early afternoon in August 1875, Captain Matthew Webb dove into the English Channel from Admiralty Pier in Dover [shown below on left], swam breaststroke for 21 hours 45 minutes across the Channel to Cap Gris-Nez, France [shown below on right].

While Captain Webb dove into the Channel waters on his crossing, the commonly-adopted start methodology in the channel swimming and marathon swimming world was simply to walk in from shore (see Mercedes Gleitze on the left and Gertrude Ederle on the right below). That onshore start has been used across most channels, lakes, bays, seas, and rivers, although in-the-water start.

That traditional onshore start has been used across most channels, lakes, bays, seas, and rivers for over a century. Those beach starts on the water’s edge were – and still are – most common among marathon and channel swimmers, although in-the-water starts are now common in the North Channel, Cook Strait, Tsugaru Channel, and other locations.

Alfréd Hajós, a Hungarian swimmer, football player, manager, and architect, was the first modern Olympic swimming champion in 1896 when he won the 100m and 1.2 km swimming events in the Bay of Zea off the Piraeus coast. In the 100m race, the swimmer took off from a floating dock [shown below] while in the 1200m race, nine swimmers were taken by a boat to a point 1200 meters offshore to do an in-the-water start.

Those in-the-water starts now take all kinds of forms: from a ship and between buoys or behind a line across the water’s edge.

In pools throughout the 19th century and early part of the 20th century, standing starts at the pool’s edge were standard.

As time went on, pool competitions added various kinds of elevated starting blocks. Throughout the 1930’s and 1960’s, the box-like starts did not change much in shape or elevation, although there were slight evolutions over this period.

In the 1960’s, the starting blocks started to get more elevated, although the angles and sizes were not globally standardized yet.

By the 1970’s and 1980’s, the elevated starting platforms took on myriad shapes and sizes.

Evolution continues and starting blocks at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games are now the most optimal shape, size, and height yet developed.

Starting pontoons for marathon swims at the Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup events are pretty well developed now as the starting positions are randomly assigned at the pre-race technical meeting.

But arguably, the most interesting starting protocol and rules are in the ice swimming world under the auspices of the International Ice Swimming Association. The off-the-wall start in winter swimming and ice swimming races in 25m and 50m pools carved out of the ice are quite unusual.

The International Ice Swimming Association World Cup races dictate three pre-start calls:

1. The starter announces, “Take off your clothes” – without a doubt, the most dramatic announcement in aquatic sports, especially with snow falling and water temperature at freezing or near freezing levels. Upon the announcement, the swimmers strip down to their swimming attire only, leaving their clothes with their Second or volunteer.
2. The starter then announces, “Enter the water” or “Get in the water” where the swimmers enter the water feet first to the start line or to climb down the ladder into the pool. The swimmers must place their feet on the pool push-board, not the ladder. They must hold the ladders with one hand with their other hand in front of them. They are now ready to start at the water’s surface.
3. A verbal “Go” or the sound of a horn or gun signals the swim start. The starting method must be published prior to the start.

It is always a study in contrasts when the winter swimmers slowly and gently lower themselves in the near-0ºC water during winter swimming and ice swimming competitions.

They grab the wall with one hand, check their goggles, touch their swim cap, place their feet on the wall…all while breathing steadily and slowly.

But all that slow-motion preparation is a mere precursor to aggressive push-offs from the water. Once the start is signaled, the athletes push strongly against the wall and take off as competitively as pool swimmers dive off their starting blocks.

It is great to see such competitive fire and passion emanate from swimmers of all ages…in pools indoors or outdoors or carved out of lakes, in the water at seashores, lakesides, ocean coasts, and river sides.

© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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