It’s a query that’s been fairly tough to reply: is there a typical stroke that the perfect IMers in swimming mostly excel at? Everyone knows that IMers are essentially the most well-rounded swimmers on the market, however is there one “robust” stroke that all of them appear to have in widespread?
To do that fast evaluation, we’ll check out the perfect IMers throughout the final 10-20 years and see if that they had any specific strokes that they have been the strongest at. To quantify this, we’ll assign one level per “robust” self-discipline, after which we’ll tally all the things up on the finish to see if one stroke comes out above the others.
Michael Phelps
There’s not a lot to be mentioned right here aside from the truth that Phelps didn’t have a weak stroke. A former world file holder in each butterfly occasions, Phelps additionally previously owned the 200 freestyle world file and was the primary below each 1:44 and 1:43 within the occasion.
On the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, he even certified for the 200 backstroke — behind none aside from world-record holder Aaron Peirsol — in a time that might have earned silver in that 12 months’s Olympic ultimate in Athens. What’s extra, even his flat-start 100 freestyle time again in 2008 (47.51) may simply problem in a lot of as we speak’s international-level championship finals (and gained bronze on the 2008 Olympics behind the 2 quickest males in historical past on the time).
Should you needed to pinpoint a weak stroke of his, it could be breaststroke — however even his breaststroke grew to become a weapon in his IM’s throughout the top of his profession. It’s fairly tough to assign factors right here, however for the sake of our evaluation, we’ll go together with the 2 strokes through which Phelps has held world information.
Factors: +1 for butterfly, +1 for freestyle
Katinka Hosszu
Often known as the Iron Woman, Hosszu is just not solely the second-fastest performer of all time within the 400 IM, however her world file within the 200 IM from 2015 (2:06.12) nonetheless stands to today. Actually, throughout the course of her profession, she collected 4 world titles within the 200 IM and 5 world titles within the 400 IM — highlighted by a triple gold medal efficiency on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In worldwide competitors, Hosszu has additionally amassed accolades in occasions aside from the person medleys. Actually, she took Olympic gold within the 100 backstroke in Rio, together with silver within the 200 backstroke. What’s extra, her European Document within the 200 butterfly (2:04.27) can also be untouched to today — the results of a bronze-medal effort on the 2009 Worlds.
Factors: +1 for backstroke, +1 for butterfly
Ryan Lochte
Along with his success within the IMs, Lochte is called one in all historical past’s finest backstrokers. He previously held the world file within the 200 backstroke, taking Olympic gold in 2008 and changing into the primary man below 1:54 within the occasion. As well as, he was an enormous think about America’s dominance within the 800 freestyle relay.
To know Lochte’s place as one in all swimming’s best, let’s take a look at his efficiency on the 2011 Worlds — maybe one of many best particular person swimming performances within the post-super swimsuit period. Lochte would emerge with golds within the 200 freestyle (defeating Phelps), 200 IM (defeating Phelps once more in world file time), 400 IM, and 200 backstroke.
Except for this, Lochte’s underwaters are simply as deadly. Actually, on the 2015 Worlds — the place he four-peated as world champion within the 200 IM — he made waves for pushing off the breast-to-free activate his again. For our functions, nevertheless, we’ll go together with the 2 strokes through which he’s claimed gold medals in worldwide competitors.
Factors: +1 for backstroke, +1 for freestyle
Daiya Seto
To today, Seto is without doubt one of the most proficient quick course swimmers within the historical past of swimming. His world file within the 400 IM, 3:54.81, has remained untouched and unchallenged ever since 2019, and he’s gained six straight SC world titles within the occasion. He additionally previously held the world file within the quick course 200 butterfly (1:48.24) and got here inside two-tenths of the 200m breaststroke world file.
Seto additionally established his dominance within the lengthy course pool. Although he by no means got here away with an Olympic gold or world file, he’s collected eight world championship medals throughout each IM distances — together with 4 world titles. On the 2017 Worlds, he additionally got here away with a bronze within the 200 butterfly, an occasion he nonetheless holds the Asian file in.
Factors: +1 for butterfly, +1 for breaststroke
Yana Klochkova
Klochkova is without doubt one of the only a few swimmers who’ve repeated as double-IM Olympic champions. She beforehand held the world file in each the quick course and lengthy course 400 IM occasions.
Klochkova was additionally an amazing mid-distance freestyler. On the 2000 Sydney Video games, she gained a silver medal within the 800 free along with her golden double within the IMs. She captured a world title within the 400 free a 12 months later, and in 2002, she gained gold within the short-course 400 free as nicely. As a part of Ukraine’s 400 medley relay, she swam the butterfly legs, contributing to a silver and bronze on the European Championships.
Factors: +1 for butterfly, +1 for freestyle
Leon Marchand
If “underwaters” have been a stroke, Marchand is amongst top-of-the-line we’ve ever seen at doing it. But it surely isn’t, so we are able to marvel at his breaststroke as a substitute — and the truth that he owns not solely the world file within the 400 IM, but in addition the second-fastest efficiency ever within the 200 IM.
But fixating solely on his breaststroke would possibly nonetheless be an injustice. Similar to everybody else on this listing, Marchand’s versatility is world-class, with an Olympic file within the 200 butterfly besides. He additionally owns the second-fastest efficiency within the 200-yard freestyle in historical past and the quickest ever within the 500 free.
Regardless of this, Marchand has but to race in a long-course freestyle occasion in main worldwide competitors. So for now, we’ll account for his outstanding accolades throughout the breaststroke and butterfly occasions.
Factors: +1 for breaststroke, +1 for butterfly
Summer season McIntosh
Nonetheless simply a young person, McIntosh has already established herself as top-of-the-line IMers in historical past — and arguably essentially the most versatile swimmer on the planet. Not solely does she maintain the world file within the 400 IM, however she additionally took down Olympic Data within the 200 IM and 200 butterfly not too long ago in Paris.
What’s extra, McIntosh is an unbelievable freestyler, having held the 400 freestyle world file briefly in 2023 and being one in all simply three girls in historical past to go below 3:57. Actually, she’s the one particular person throughout the previous decade to have defeated Katie Ledecky head-to-head in any long-distance freestyle race. In doing so, McIntosh grew to become the second-fastest performer ever within the 800 freestyle.
I feel the alternatives listed here are fairly clear. But, right here’s maybe essentially the most unbelievable half: McIntosh remains to be a young person…so the sky’s the restrict.
Factors: +1 for butterfly, +1 for freestyle
Tallying Up the Factors
With all that in thoughts, right here’s the ultimate rely…
Butterfly: 6 factors
Backstroke: 2 factors
Breaststroke: 2 factors
Freestyle: 4 factors
Clearly, the pattern measurement I used right here was fairly small, and this was maybe a rudimentary means of discovering a typical energy amongst the perfect IMers. However I can’t say I’m shocked — and it is sensible that the perfect IMers not solely have the energy to take the race out robust, however in addition they have the propensity to shut the race nicely.
I do know all of the backstrokers and breaststrokers usually are not going to love this, however let me know what you assume is an important stroke for an IMer…
