Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 7:32:05 CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Dolphin Kickers Sink Swimming Records

Posted Jun 20, 08 9:40 CDT in Sports 

(Newser) – Dozens of world swimming records have fallen in the last 18 months and many credit the explosion in speed to a technique invented by a scientist who worked on the A-Bomb, reports the Washington Post. Swimmers say the underwater dolphin kick, which has been revived and polished in recent years, is a "weapon" that leaves rivals floundering. The motion mimics how dolphins cut through water with their flippers.

Physicist and 1932 Olympian Volney Wilson came up with the kick after studying fish, but it proved difficult to teach. The coach of American swimming champ Michael Phelps says the swimmer has now mastered the dolphin kick, making a "quantum-leap difference" even greater than the effects of the latest high-tech swimming suits.

Source Washington Post

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse

    Sep 16, 08 10:00 CDT
    US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse Olympic medalist Margaret Hoelzer was sexually abused, she tells the AP in the hopes of helping other victims. The abuse by the friend of a father started when she was 5 years old, the swimmer says, and did not stop until the family moved 2 years later. The abuser was arrested after Hoelzer told her mother years later, but was never charged. More »

  • Phelps Jittery Over SNL Appearance

    Sep 13, 08 5:01 PM CDT
    Phelps Jittery Over SNL Appearance Winning gold medals was easy, but appearing on Saturday Night Live? “Oh gosh, this is going to be tough,” Michael Phelps told Jay Leno this week. Phelps is enjoying a burst of post-Olympic celebrity, the Baltimore Sun reports, but public speaking is a new sport for the 23-year-old. Phelps says he battled a major bout of nerves before the MTV video music awards, but he’s calmer about appearing on SNL tonight.
    More »

  • Phelps Gives $1M to Young Swimmers

    Sep 2, 08 2:03 PM CDT
    Phelps Gives $1M to Young Swimmers Michael Phelps says he'll use the $1 million bonus from his sponsor Speedo for tying Mark Spitz's seven gold medals to encourage youth swimmers and water safety. The 23-year-old is starting a foundation "to really help to grow the sport," Phelps told the Today Show. The first initiative will be an eight-city tour to teach children about healthy living beyond swimming and personal responsibility. More »

  • Phelps to Kick Off SNL Opener

    Aug 28, 08 6:41 CDT
    Phelps to Kick Off SNL Opener Super swimmer Michael Phelps will be trying his hand at making comedy gold as host of the season premier of Saturday Night Live, E! Online reports. The 23-year-old Olympic champ will be making his acting debut when the program's 34th season kicks off September 13. The swimmer will be joined by musical guest Lil' Wayne.
    More »

  • China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes

    Aug 23, 08 11:04 CDT
    China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes Decades ago, bringing glory to the motherland would have been the sole reward for victorious Chinese Olympians. The glory is still there—plenty of it, as China leads the gold medal table—but champions can now expect an average reward of $300,000 in cash and bonuses, even before corporate sponsorship deals roll in, the Los Angeles Times reports.
    More »

Michael Phelps' coach credits the underwater dolphin kick with helping propel the swimmer to new world records.   (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Michael Phelps swims to victory in the finals of the 100 meter backstroke in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 7, 2008 at the Mutual of Omaha Swim Invitational.   (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
An American physicist and water polo player came up with the explosively fast 'dolphin kick' after studying fish at Chicago's aquarium.   (AP Photo/Christine Aylen)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Demonstration of a butterfly style and dolphin kick.   (fredang85)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

athlete • swimming • Michael Phelps • Olympians


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Sports Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »