ANALYSIS OF POSSIBILITY OF COMPETITION DISTANCES’ COMBINATIONS, REALIZED BY ELITE SWIMMERS ON THE BASE OF INDIVIDUAL INDICATORS OF TECHNICAL-TACTIC ACTIONS

Purpose: to find out possibility of competition, different by length distances’ but with same structure of fulfilled movements combinations, realized by elite swimmers. Material: the tested group consisted of participants of European, 2014 championship final starts. We analyzed performances of men and women at distances 50, 100 and 200 meters (in total 12 distances for every swimmer). Results: we determined time and space characteristics of swimmers’ technical-tactic actions. Correlation of indicators of final starts participants’ competition functioning and indicators of sportsmen, who won medals at these distances was determined. We found elements of competition functioning, in fulfillment of which sportsmen’s individual features are manifested most of all. Conclusions: the fulfilled analysis of competition functioning of European championship final starts’ participants permits to say that elite swimmers (breaststroke style) are able to achieve high results at competition distances of different length, with definite level of technical-tactic fitness. Conclusions: individual potentials of elite swimmers permit to use different technical-tactic variants of distance covering. That is why the sportsmen are able to demonstrate high results at competition distances of different length with equal structure of fulfilled movements.

Competition functioning was assessed by the following indicators: period of sportsmen's staying on Соревновательная деятельность оценивалась по следующим показателям: продолжительности пребывания start pedestal after start signal; passing start segment (from start line to 15 meters point); parts of distance swimming (their quantity depended on the length of competition distance); turn segments.Processing of video material was realized with the help of program Adobe Primiere Pro 2. As a result we received digital data of time and space characteristics of sportsmen's competition functioning.We calculated the following: mean speed of distance swimming (V2, m/sec.);speed of swimming of start (V1, m/sec.)and turn segments (V3, m/sec.).We found length (SL, m) and tem of strokes at distance (SR, cycles/min).Effectiveness of swimming technique was assessed by values of stroke index (SI = V*SL, m 2 /sec.)[12].
During statistical processing of data we found minimal (min), maximal (max) and mean group ( ) values of indicators; mean square deviations from mean values () and variation coefficients (VA,%).Besides, we calculated percentage of competition functioning individual indicators from mean group values, where =100%).

Results of the research
Study of records of three last European championships permitted to find the quantity of prize-winners in program 2010-2014.Among men the quantity of prize-winners was higher than among women.During all studied period their quantity varied: men -from 30 to 34 persons; women -from 28 to 30 persons.In case of one winner and one prize-winner at every step of podium, maximum 36 persons could pretend to be nominees of the analyzed distances (see fig. 1).Analysis of swimmers' performances by gender aspect witnesses that in free style, butterfly and on back men won more medals.At three championships men medalists were by 3-4 more than women.Exclusion was breaststroke distances, were at podium more women turned out to be than men (see table 1).Men's performances at championship of Europe, 2014 were analyzed more specifically.9 medals were distributed among only 5 the strongest breaststroke swimmers of continent.It was the first case in history of studied EC.That is why it is purposeful to analyze the sportsmen's performances more carefully.
As per records of competitions at the shortest distance45 sportsmen started.The range of results (by table of scores, adopted by international swimming federation FINA) was from 695 to 963 scores.While the range of finalists' results was from 890 to 963 scores, (see table 2).Analysis of finalists' list in all kinds of breaststroke program showed that six from eight sportsmen, who started on the shortest distance, started also on distance two times longer.Two of them took the same position like in the first case: sportsman from Great Britain Adam Peaty became winner while Hendrik Feldwehr (Germany) -outsider at both distances (see table 2).
From finalists of 100 meter' distance (breaststroke style) only two athletes started on distance 200 meters.With it, their results at both distances were the same.For example, Ross Murdoch (Great Britain) became silver prize winner and Giedrius Titenis (Lithuania) -bronze winner in both cases.
Results of Lithuanian sportsman should be stressed specially.After successful performance at world Championship (WC) 2009 (bronze medal at distance 200 meters, breaststroke) he had no noticeable achievements at great international competitions.However, from 2009 to 2013 he was in ten of the best European swimmers at distances 100 and 200 meters, though he did not take the highest places.His performance at European championship 2014 can be considered his return to elite of European swimming.Results of this sportsman permitted for him to take position on podium in all breaststroke programs.Study of competition records showed that no sportsman or sportswoman (of continental championships from 2010 to 2014) could do the same.
More detail analysis of the swimmer's performances permitted to find indicators of competition functioning, which distinguished him from all finalists (i.e.his advantages or lagging behind his opponents).
It is known that arsenal of technical actions is rather limited in cyclic kinds of sports.That is why sport result in swimming is regarded as total of separate actions' duration at distance: start, distance swimming; turns (if required) and finish [3; 5-7; 14-16].
The fulfilled analysis showed that results of swimmers-men in breaststroke at last European championship were rather dense (VA from 0.77% at distance 50 meters to 1.57% at distance 200 meters).Such indicators as mean speed of distance swimming; speed at start segment and turns (see table 4) also were a little variable.This fact permitted to concentrate attention at competition elements, in fulfillment of which variations were more noticeable: i.e. fulfillment of which was to lager extent conditioned by sportsmen's individual abilities.
In the conducted earlier researches it was determined that in swimming duration of start has strong correlation with final result at distance.It is especially noticeable in sprinter numbers of program [6-8; 10; 22].According to data of Mason & Cossor [14] final result at 50 meters'distance by 30% depends on effectiveness of start; at 100 meters distance this influence is 15%.In opinion of Arellano et al. [7]; Maglischo, E. W. [13]; Rejman & Ochman [15]; Ruschel et al. [16]; Thompson et al. [24]; Welcher et al. [25] perfection of start technique (reduction of time of its fulfillment) can substantially shorten time of competition distance swimming.
Swimming start, as it is, shall be regarded as technical element, consisting of actions above water and under water [4; 8; 16; 22; 25].Surface part include time of sportsman's being on start pedestal (block time -ВТ).This indicator noticeably varied (comparing with speed characteristics) in finalists of all analyzed distances (VA=6.82%at 50 meters distance; 5.98% -at distance 100 meters and 6.31% -at distance 200 m).Lithuanian swimmer was on pedestal much longer than most of sportsmen.Lagging behind mean group indicators (depending on distance) was from 6.1 to 11.8 % (see table 4).Loss in surface actions he had to compensate by distance swimming.As it is known start segment is a unique one for every swimmer.It hinders comparison of its effectiveness in different sportsmen.It is also known that international rules oblige swimmers to emerge from water after crossing 15 meters' (from start line) point.That is why this segment is called start one in swimming.The received by us data witness that speed of finalists at start segment at 50 meters distance varied from 2.22 to 2.34 m/sec.(VA=2.05%),at distance 100 m -from 2.25 to 2.36 m/sec.(VA=1.70%),at distance 200 m -from 2.19 to 2.37 m/sec.(VA=2.86%).Start speed of Lithuanian sportsman at distance 50 m was by 3% higher than mean start speed of other finalists.For compensation of lagging behind on pedestal the sportsmen demonstrated the highest speed at start segment in the swim.His start speed at distance 100 m was by 0.8% lower than mean group speed, but at distance 200 m -by 0.8% higher.
Speed of turn at 100 meters distance varied from 1.25 to 1.78 m/sec.(VA=3.46%).Indicator of G.T. practically coincided with mean group indicator.Mean speed of all turns at 200 meters distance varied a little lessfrom 1.51 to 1.62 m/sec.(VA=2.06%).This action was fulfilled by Lithuanian swimmer better than by most of his opponents (his mean speed of turns was by 1.5% higher than mean group speed) (see table 4).
Main distinctions of sportsmen's technical-tactic potentials are manifested in strictly individual combination of temp and length of stroke at distance.One and the same speed can be achieved with different combinations of stroke length and temp.But, the higher is speed the less is the quantity of combinations.With achievement of maximal speed -there is the only variant.Long stroke requires great efforts, which increase content of lactic acid in blood.That is why it is necessary to be able to vary swimming speed with minimal energy consumption [1; 11;17; 18].
We found that with increase of distance length difference between minimal and maximal values of temp and stroke length also increased: i.e. distinctions in competition functioning tactic became more noticeable.Minimal temp of strokes at 50 meters distance was 59.2 cycles/min., maximal -67.2 cycles/min.(VA=4.18%).At distance100 m. -46.7 and 53.6 cycles/min., accordingly (VA=5.32%).At the longest distance-31.4and 42.3 cycles/min., accordingly (VA= 9.97%).Stroke length varied accordingly: from 1.57 to 1.77 (VA=4,01%); from 1.71 to 2.08 м (VA=7.23%);from 2.13 to 2.75 m (VA=8.34%).Lithuanian swimmer demonstrated the least frequency of strokes with their higher length against the background of other finalists.With increasing distance length the swimmer noticeably reduced temp of movements (60.0 -47.6 -31.4 cycles/min.,) and made stroke longer (1.77 -2.07 -2.75 m).If at the shortest distance his individual indicators differed from mean group indicators by 4.1 and 5.2%, then at the longest distance differences reached 13.9 and 9.5%.The calculated index of effectiveness (SI) is a bright proof of it.This index implies that with pre-set speed, swimmer with longer stroke length has more effective swimming technique.Mean group SI values of finalists at sprinter distances were practically equal and increased only at 200 meters distance.Individual values of Lithuanian sportsman were maximal in every final swim (superiority over other finalists reached from 4.8 at distance 50 m.to 11.5% at distance 200 m) and increased with increasing of distance length (see table 4).

Discussion
In the fulfilled researches [9; 12; 19; 20; 23] it was determined that in swimming technique there are three variants of arms and legs' movements coordination: 1) sliding (when between finishing of push with legs and beginning of stroke with arms there is a moment of sliding); 2) continuous (when stroke beginning coincides with finishing of legs' push); 3) overlapping (when phase of arms' movement starts from the moment of legs' push finish).The first variant of coordination is more frequently used by sportsmen, who specialize at 200 meters' deistance.The second is used at 100 meters distance; and the third -at distance 50 meters [20; 23].The found individual indicators of Lithuanian swimmer's stroke length and effectiveness index permit to say that he completely mastered all variants of breaststroke techniques.The sportsman is able also to effectively use distance length.His indicators differ from data, received by other researchers.Temp of sportsman's movements is lower, but stroke length is noticeably higher, comparing with the best breaststrokers of Ukraine and Europe [2; 4; 5; 21].
The conducted analysis of competition functioning of EC 2014 finalists permits to say that elite swimmersbreaststrokers, if having certain level of technical tactic fitness, are able to achieve high results at competition distances of different length.

Conclusions:
Individual potentials of elite swimmers permit to use different technical-tactic variants of distance swimming.That is why they are able to demonstrate high results at competition distance of different length with equal structure of fulfilled movements.

Table 1 .
Quantity of medalists by styles of swimming (distances 50-200 meters at European championships 2010-2014

Table 4 .
Indicators of competition functioning of European 2014 championship finalists of 50 meters' distance (breaststroke)