If you liked this video, you will LOVE this other one. It is Everything You Need To Know To Swim Better: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zAkfpGSC5V8.htmlsi=zBvzruAN9vxGst8J I didn't mention Thorpe's swimsuit because I made a whole video about it! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4n1s47GWhmI.html
I was thinking about the suit the whole video. In every example he was the only one with the suit, which was later banned. While Thorpe is a hero of mine, and he did indeed revolutionize swimming (or maybe his coach did?), I do wonder if the difference with the other swimmers would be as massive without the suit. Now it comes across as helping a tremendous amount, while it may be a marginal gain (which is still a huge deal at the highest level!). Edit: typo
he has great technique, but the suite gave him advantage upon the other swimmers, nade him float better and move smoother in water. that was not an even swimmings in Sydney
But shouldn’t the narrator mention the respective heights and especially arm lengths of the athletes? If Thorpe has super long arms, or is taller in stature, it sort of makes more sense that the strokes would be fewer?
@Elemental Entity For context, the average age on the USA Olympic swim team is 23/24, that's an extra 5 years of training and muscle development. The fact Thorpe won at 17 was a serious achievement.
Ian Thorpe was the most effortless swimmer I've ever seen. He didn't waste a single movement, it looked like the water was pushing him and he was just there.
I remember the first time I saw Thorpe. I was 11 and he was 14 and I had just started swimming for a new club in Padstow, Sydney. All of us were cramped into a couple of lanes and Thorpe had his own lane to himself- even at 14 he was already 6”3 with a massive chest and feet- just by watching him practise I could tell he was special
An interesting fact about Ian Thorpe is that he was in New York on 9/11 and on his way to the World Trade Center when he realized that he had forgotten his camera at the hotel and so turned back. That almost certainly saved his life.
@timtrfny timtrfny It means u cannot reasonably believe that because theres no chance terrorist who are about to kill hundreds of people with plane attacks would warn an american swimmer who probaply tells the authorities and ruins their plan. Maybe u were trying to make a joke but it really seems like u r serious when u say "I mean he was worth a lot back then". To terrorists he was worth nothing.
As a swim coach of 35 years, I couldn’t agree more with this. Sadly, too many of my colleagues fail to understand the importance of glides and stroke counts in Freestyle😩😥
Gliding is quinticential with any sort of stroke. If you dont utilise it correctly youre just wasting energy. I cant even think of how many times ive told my students to GLIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE! 😂
They miss it because Thorpe's emphasis was all on his kick. The stroke was an after-thought. He didn't tuck his chin, either, or hold his breath for more than two pulls. If he had, his 4 and 6 beat kicks would have made him pass out. Everything we were taught in the 70s/80s/90s was dead wrong.
When I used to train we were always advised to study Thorpes technique. It was the underwater phase that I took most from. Not because it was particularly different or controversial but because it highlighted how much difference an excellent turn can make. He gained so much ground from them. Phelps won more but Thorpe and Hooganband were my inspirations
@@YassineAnsari-z1j Yes, they never competed but it doesn't mean I can't prefer one. In the same way you can prefer Madonna over Messi despite them not competing
phelps won irrelevant medals. only freestyle counts. maybe track and field should have a race with both hands tied behind their back so usain bolt can have a few more medals
Pretty sure his shoe size of 17 (52 in EU) helped his kick. One of the largest feet swimming world has ever seen. He also had very strong legs and flipper-like feet added to his performance. Overall, strongest kick of all time in the game.
I wonder about that too. I recently started swimming because I hurt my knee lifting. Getting better everyday. I have bought some short fins for use with my kickboard and am astonished at the difference I had no idea. So noticing the huge difference with the fins got me wondering about the difference and advantage someone has with huge feet. For reference I'm a 13 4e but have to think a size 17 would be a tremendous advantage.
There were always "Gliders" and "Paddle steamers" in swimming and still there are...Thorpe was just the best at doing it and for me still is the most aestethic swimmer of all times...but he didn't invent something new, everything he did was well-known, Thorpe just mastered perfection...
I think that's right. I've been following the Australian outfit Swim Smooth - they go on about high cadence and no glide. The USA Total Immersion focussed on long and slow. I guess the best is maximum cadence, massive stroke length and minimum resistance - it is just who can come up with the winning combination.
Amazing to see the sport evolve. 20 years later and even Thorpe's streamline looks amateur. Then Phelps made the dolphin kick a game changer. Then... I don't know, they all just seem superhuman now :D
The under water dolphin kick is a superhuman ability. It seems only elite athletes can sustain it during a series of laps: for a normal person there is a tendency to run out of breath at the very beginning.
Nah, Michael Klim well before Phelps. The first was a girl called Angela Kennedy swimming for Telopea (Canberra, Australia) in the early 90s, where she broke the women's 50 Fly SC record at 15.
@@guyskillen Dude, that's some very esoteric knowledge. I guess she would swim at Manuka pool? My sister went to Telopea High so I actually know where you're referring to.
In what world is that true? Im a terrible swimmer and maintaining a dolphin kick for say 20 metres is not that hard. Its a revolutionary technique but it's by no means a difficult thing to do. Again, im a below avg level swimmer...
@@pettypractice7872 i've never seen a swimmer upset the water less. it is like his stroke consists of dropping rose petals onto a mirrored lake surface.
It was a massive change to swimming technique. The shark suit on a big swimmer makes a big difference. And being huge helps hugely. Ideal shape: short legs, long torso, long arms, vast hands, big feet with flexible ankles. You can be world class young teen but, if you don't grow big enough with the other physical features, you can't progress - so take up triathlon or cycling
Absolutely amazing. I have an relative in Australia and he explained to me the way they swim and why so it makes sense to me but looking at Mr.Thorpe swimming is an art form
His efficiency was top notch. He was similar to Popov, the way their bodies would just glide through the water. Everyone else always looked like they were doing so much more work than those guys, yet they continued to beat everyone.
Matt Biondi is the 1st one I have seen doing this at 1988 Olympic, followed by Alexander Popov 4 years later. That's why these two legends are always on my mind. Ian Thorpe is among my favorites too.
@@boblangford5514 Biondi also raced in 100m butterfly as a favorite at the Olympic, but he was upset in the final by Anthony Nesti of Suriname by 0.01 sec. That was the most upset in that year.
Interestingly, some comments make a comparison with Popov - well, Popov was also notoriously fast on a kickboard. He reportedly did 50m at the Australian Institute of Sport in 27 seconds on a kickboard! (No flippers.)
@@Fuzcapp i knew guys training at the same pool, that used his 50m kick start times, for their 50ms freestyle start times. As you can imagine it was demoralizing for them. In their defence, they trained for the 1500m distance. It’s so long ago, that I can’t remember his kick times on the 50m. But it was sub 30s, which I think is incredible. I actually trained at the same pool where Van Hoogenband used to train in Eindhoven. That was also highly demoralizing but it does show a person how special these guys are (or were).
My thoughts exactly Thorpe was the only guy at the time who could keep a 6 beat kick throughout a 400 It’s his kick that allows a slower turnover-catch up drill stroke- It’s by no means an ‘unusual or controversial stroke’
One of the most impressive swimming feats ever (IMHO) is Thorpe’s closure in the 400m relay in Sydney 2000. Gary Hall has a half body advantage over him in the last turn and is stroking fast, but Thorpe just digs and slides, and touches first by a few milliseconds. Amazing to watch!!!
I am mostly a backstroker and I am short for a swimmer, so I have a natural disadvantage. However, I start to come into the race as a freestyler over 800m to 1500m. I have always (even before Thorpe) had a natural inclination to leave my right arm out in front as I breathe (I am a left side breather) which causes my left arm to come over the top unnaturally fast. It's just the way I swim freestyle. I have had so many coaches try to change it, but it just doesn't feel right and trying to change has never resulted in better freestyle performance. I don't have a massive kick like Thorpe and I would average about 40 strokes per lap, like Rossalino. Remember, I am around 10 inches shorter than these swimmers (Who therefore have significantly longer arms and better natural glide - plus they are all far stronger than me). So for all the coaches trying to change my freestyle, perhaps I was onto something 45 years ago, which hadn't met its time yet. I am a great believer in allowing a good swimmer to just find their own natural style. Whether it's Michael Klim's straight arm technique or Thorpe's beautiful high elbow glide technique. Grant Hackett also seemed to go to a greater glide in his stroke after Thorpe came along.
I was living in Sydney (Manly Beach) at this time and was fortunate enough to to have attended several of these events including the 400m finals. I remember talking to an American that was a trainer with the US Olympic Swim Team and mentioned that the ‘Thorpedo’ was going to be the guy to beat for several years. He said with complete confidence, ‘Nope, we have a kid coming up that is going to dominate for a decade’. That was the first time I heard Michael Phelps’ name. Ian Thorpe was amazing watch in person in 2000, but Michael was still on another level.
It was your channel that encouraged me to swim with a better technique. I could swim for my whole life, however I have studied how to "swim properly" from your videos. I'm glad that this exciting short video appeared in my feed through all the RU-vid algorithms. Take care, mate.
Awesome video, being a swimmer kid in the 2000's (and later a D1 swimmer) the Thorpedo definitely changed distance stroke for years to come. After the 2000 Olympics coaches everywhere started paying attention to stroke count. Hah this also meant more counting in practice.... a memory I would sooner forget than remember lol.
Its amazing that Thrope 2002 WR in 400M would still be a WR if not for the supersuit era. How crazy is that and shows that swim was a swim definitely before its time
Winning gold is one thing, but changing a sport forever is something very few can claim. Just like the Fosbury flop in high jump, Thorpe re-defined his sport. True Aussie legend
I love his style and the relaxed rhythm. I have always wondered about the upward curve in his body line from the side and wether this is to keep the legs raised. Also his head position at one point in his breathing cycle is really looking forward for a moment.
This video has "finally" answered the question I've been asking a while now. "Why" do modern swimmers leave that arm in frt for so long, that the recovery arm has caught up, before the catch of the "gliding" arm? It feels so abnormal to me, to wait with that arm in frt. But this host has summed it up, at the end, by stating..."leave that arm in frt a bit longer". If it's good enuff for the "Thorpedo" then it's good enuff for me. Thank you. :)
It’s definitely different, so different that you would be inclined to say that taking fewer strokes is the secret sauce. But it won’t work out for everyone. So much depends on all the other metrics in swimming. Basically, it’s not as simple as that.
Great video thanks! Ian Thorpe is almost underrated as the swimming genius his was. Definitely a better middle and long distance swimmer than MP. His technique changed freestyle forever. All about streamlining and the glide. I can only imagine how fast Mark Spitz would have been of he’d swum like this!
Thorpe is still the most effortless swimmer ever, he never looked like he was trying. Watching him race was frustrating because to the untrained eye it looked like he wasn’t swimming as fast as he could, but in reality his technique was legendary.
His suit was not made of polyurethane so it was not a banned suit. Swimmers could wear it today if they wanted. He was so talented and worked so hard but he was just different. Nobody even to this day can swim like him. To be able to swim the 100 up to the 1500 and damn near win every one or at least medal in every one is amazing. He was also 6ft 6 and 235 pounds which is a freak of nature to swim that fast at that size . Best freestyle swimmer ever.
I think there's another part of the current swimsuit rules that stipulates it can't extend below the knee or above the waist for men - the material would be fine though
I knew Ian around this time and I saw him break that 400 metres world record in 1999 I spoke to him at training and we were even in the swam in the same pool sometimes what a trill to see your friend break a record I was in the VIP section it was a fantastic night and yes he made Sydney 2000 one the greatest experiences of my life
Thorpey was so beautiful to watch. His glide did look effortless despite it being hard work. He was very economical with his strokes and it paid off. Ian Thorpe is a Champion.
Another good example of Thorpe's speed was when he race in the 4x100m relay mens team in Sydney and he ran down Gary Hall Jnr using this technique (who was the fastest swimmer at the time) and he looked effortless doing it in a 100m sprint race.
Yeah it's cool to win medals and all but when you are an innovator, that's a real contribution. Winning is a selfish path, nothing wrong with it, but to pave a way for the future is something else.
Ian Thorpe is a legendary, effortless athlete who really doesn't get the credit he deserves outside of the swimming world (or at least outside of Australia), just because other swimmers won more or went down the Lochte route to notoriety.
I would pay money for a full video of that '99 PanPacs 400m. It's not anywhere on the internet that I can find. He lopped 2s off the WR in that race... it's a piece of history and the people deserve to view it!
when I was a agonistic swimmer in the 80's ( :) ) this idea to slip more efficiently in the water while trying to reduce the frequency of the strokes and save energy was already known in all the four styles (I was breaststroke swimmer), as it is in some way automatic as soon as the swimmer becomes stronger and faster. The problem is the need to have an excellent hydrodynamic to slip (the trim swim and the suite) and very strong legs to maintain the thrust during the no-traction phase of the stroke... and this makes the difference between Thorpe and the others. Leg's muscles are very strong but also consume a lot of energy because the movement (the kick) is not so natural and a swimmer may easily "collapse" if he abuses of them. In addition to keep the body balanced in the water arms and legs must move synchronously. This means that if frequency is decreased legs oscillation (the kick) is slower and also the thrust is less.... going slower. last but not least if the swimmer is not in front the waves created by the others disturb more the trim swim and increasing effort to correct it and resistance in the water (ref. laminar flow vs turbulent flow) This to say that this technique is not for all.
I’d love to see a video analysis of David Popovici’s style as he seems to be having a similar impact to that of Thorpe. I’ve seen a few people criticising his technique, even though he’s breaking records.
The full body suit is not banned The style of suit used in 2008-2009 was banned None of Thorpe’s suits were ever banned Most people don’t use full body suits because it increases your internal temp more quickly
Of course, Ian Thorpe's swimsuit was not banned at the time of Sydney Olympics. But after that the development of swimsuits just sky rocketed. I read that it was not only about how much swimsuit covered the body, but also swimsuit reduced drag and gave lift, because it catched little air bubbles in the fabric. FINA had to take action later and check the swimsuit regulations, because there was danger that competition suits would become ridiculously expensive and it would be very uneven competition. History of sports is full of stories how people have tried and got advantage from innovations in equipment. And it does not take away the fact that Ian Thorpe was world class swimmer, but advantage is advantage and competition is not about charity towards fellow competitors.
@@fischer-3934 it always made me salty they banned those suits. I remember the patterns on them were designed to mimic shark scales; therefore reducing drag. It's so dope, youd think think the sport would want to continue that innovation. And at what point do you stop improving equipment or banning innovation? Go ancient Greek and go nudd for even competition haha
@@roastpotatoes100 it also happens in running. Cant use the latest technology like the nike magic sole which significantly boosts speed. But yeah, gotta draw the line somehow to bring equality and fairness to the competition.
Swimming is a sport of feel and moving with the water. Thorpe had a great feel for the water. His rhythm was amazing and he was able to kick the wave he created with his stroke to perfection. A great athlete for sure.
That’s interesting. I’ve always used a glide, just cause I find it more relaxing and rhythmical, and I was a swimming instructor in the 1990s, teaching it. Had no idea it was so fast.
I was watching him on tv back then. Turkish commentor called him "Thorpeedo" and indeed he was! He was gracefully gliding in the water with an explosive power.
What a shame it was with the treatment of Thorpe here in Australia. Seeing the greatest swimmer of all time (back then before Phelps) go through the ringer in the lead up to Athens (famously false started with a fellow swimmer giving up his place to Thorpe), fending off interview after interview about his sexuality... no wonder he ended up hating the sport. Breaks my heart every time I'm reminded that he retired when he should have been at his physical peak. What could have been if Phelps had to battle Thorpe in Beijing, especially with Thorpe in a non-textile supersuit like everyone else was wearing at the time.
I´m absolutely no swimming expert. But this is really astonishlingy.Couldn´t imagine that such an disruptive technique could come up after decades of technical optimizations in this sport
Imagine what he could have achieved if he could have lived his life openly and not hounded and mocked by the media and public about his sexuality. I feel like that toll on his mental health pushed him to retire early and hide away
Never cared for technic but everyone told me i was the most gracefully to watch. My trainer never criticised my swimming nor did he ever gave me any tips beside brest stroke wjähich i hate to this day. Seeing this video makes me realise that i swim like this Australia dude. I tried to teach my friends that are training for a triathlon but they don't manage this. Surely they improved but not to that extent that it looks gracefully. Some people are just born to glide.
I used to swim freestyle daily in the early 2000s and learn to swim the Total Immersion technique and it made a huge difference to my swimming. I was able to fairly effortlessly swim a mile of freestyle each morning. The basics of the technique are to essentially stretch and roll through the water.
His full body suit also came with controversy afterwards. Similarly this just reminded me of CATHY freeman suit too!! 2004 was ultimate swimming Olympics imo
So, I am trying to figure out if this was the beginning of the gallop style..... Looks like what he was doing, and I first became aware of it watching Michael Phelps in his first Olympics. I am curious how this fits into your 4 Ways to Swim Freestyle video. Is it a cross between Arrow and Gallop?
I was an age group national champion and my swimming technique was very similar to Thorps, but trust me, you cannot swim this fast unless you are extremely tall and have enormous hands and feet
would make sense, larger the area the more propulsion you would be getting, if you had 2 swimmer's both with the same amount of power, one who could displace more water would be going faster.
History: 1896 Athens Olympics our 1st Aussie gold medalist Was Edwin Flack While in england sporting a shool blazer took a trip to the Olympics he won gold at 2 track events 1800 & 1500 and did the 1st Bradbury in Tennis won bronze he never played tennis the other team failed to show they won on default :)
