The History of Freestyle

 

Whether you're clocking intervals, sprinting 50s, or gracefully gliding through open water, freestyle is the go-to stroke for swimmers around the world. But this seemingly straightforward technique hasn’t always looked the way it does today.

At FINIS, we’re all about swimming smarter, and knowing where the sport came from is a great place to start.

Swimming: A Sport Older Than Sport Itself

• Ancient Egyptian cave paintings dating back to 2500 BCE depict swimmers using overarm techniques, resembling modern strokes. 

• Swimming was part of Greek and Roman military training, and was mentioned in texts by Homer and Plato.

• Organised swimming competitions began in the UK in the early 1800s, with breaststroke dominating the events until alternative strokes were introduced.

The Evolution of Freestyle

• In 1844, two Native American swimmers, Flying Gull and Tobacco, introduced a faster, overarm style (a form of front crawl) at a race in London, defeating British breaststroke swimmers but causing a stir due to their splashy technique.

• British swimmers initially rejected this stroke for being “unrefined.” Ironically, it would later dominate competitive swimming.

Enter: The Australians

• In 1902, Australian swimmer Richmond “Dick” Cavill introduced a more refined version of the front crawl after observing a flutter kick technique while in the Solomon Islands.

• This stroke, combining flutter kick and alternating arm recovery, became what we now recognise as freestyle.

Freestyle Hits the Olympics

• Freestyle debuted at the 1896 Athens Olympics, with men’s 100m and 1,200m events in the open sea.

• Women’s freestyle events were introduced in 1912 at the Stockholm Games, where Fanny Durack became the first female Olympic swimming champion.

Wait, Freestyle Means... Anything Goes? Not Quite.

Technically, in freestyle races, swimmers are allowed to use any stroke - but almost everyone opts for front crawl because it's the fastest.

However, there are still rules. Especially around that powerful underwater weapon: the dolphin kick.

The Dolphin Kick Rule (Yes, There's a Limit)

Swimmers are allowed to dolphin kick for up to 15 metres after the start and each turn. After that, part of the head must break the surface, or it's a disqualification.

This rule applies to all strokes, including backstroke and butterfly, but it's especially key in freestyle sprints where strong underwater kicking gives a major speed advantage.

Why the 15-Metre Limit?

Because otherwise, some elite swimmers would basically turn into mermaids, staying underwater nearly the entire lap. It was actually American swimmer David Berkoff who famously dolphin-kicked almost the full length of the pool at the 1988 Olympics, sparking controversy and ultimately leading to the rule change.

 

Fast Freestyle Facts

• Freestyle = front crawl in almost every modern race, though technically swimmers can choose any stroke (as long as it's not breaststroke, backstroke, or butterfly in those respective races).

• It is considered the most energy-efficient stroke, making it the default for long-distance and open water events.

• The men’s 50m freestyle world record is 20.91 seconds, set by César Cielo in 2009.
  

FINIS & Freestyle: Always Forward

At FINIS, freestyle training is at the heart of what we do. From tools like the Tempo Trainer Pro to develop consistent stroke rhythm, to specifically designed Freestyler Hand Paddles, to the Stability Snorkel for perfecting body position, our gear is built to support every swimmer, from beginners to record-breakers.

Freestyle has come a long way since ancient Egypt, and with smart training and the right tools, the next evolution might start with you.

 

 

References

1. "History of swimming." Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_swimming

2. "The Origins of Swimming: Tracing Back to Ancient Civilizations." The Sports Reviewer. Retrieved from https://thesportsreviewer.com/the-origins-of-swimming-tracing-back-to-ancient-civilizations/thesportsreviewer.com

3. "The Origin of Freestyle, The Australian Crawl." SwimSwam. Retrieved from https://swimswam.com/the-origin-of-freestyle-the-australian-crawl/swimswam.com

4. "Cavill family." Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavill_familyswimnetwork.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2openwaterpedia.com+2

5. "Richmond ‘Dick’ Cavill." Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved from https://sahof.org.au/hall-of-fame-member/richmond-dick-cavill/

6. "Freestyle swimming." Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_swimmingen.wikipedia.org

7. "Freestyle | Swimming, Technique, Stroke, Breathing, & Facts." Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/sports/freestyle-swimmingbritannica.com

8. "How race, celebrity and speed dominated the pool at the 1924 Olympics." The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jul/31/how-race-celebrity-and-speed-dominated-the-pool-at-the-1924-olympicstheguardian.com