An article titled: World records in swimming compared to records in athletics – interesting observations, The Science of Sport blog takes a closer look at the lifespan of world records in both swimming and track as a way to determine the effectiveness of doping and implications of the speed-suit era.

The Science of Sport first describes the post-Beijing swimming “record-rush” and denounces the idea that it is a sole result of better training and better athletes. Author Ross Tucker says “The problem is the timing, not necessarily the concept – evolution in training, generation of better athletes, only works when you look back over many years.” (source)

Ross continues by saying that it is interesting, even conspicuous, that there is a lack of massive doping scandals in swimming as there are in other sports. He suspects the reason for this is that “doping is far less beneficial for swimmers than it seems to be for track and field athletes.” (source)

He finds evidence in the average age of world records in swimming contrasted with the same measure of track and field records. The results of this analysis revealed that the average men’s swimming record only lasted 1 year 1 month, and women’s swimming records stood for an average of 8 months. The author then compared these times with track and field record age, with men’s track records lasting an average of 8 years 11 months, and women’s track records holding for 14 years 9 months on average!

The proposed reason for this is the prevelence of doping in the 1980′s and 1990′s in track and field. It can also be assumed that doping was going on in swimming during this same time period. However, because swimming is so mechanically inefficient, it is far more beneficial to reduce drag in the water rather than increase strength. Therefore, IF swimming records in the 1990′s were a result of doping, they have surely all been broken with the advance in suit technology.

Therefore, the track records of the “doping era” might continue to stand for decades, and if tech suits are banned in swimming–we may be looking back at records standing for decades as well.

The Science of Sport blog is written by Ross Tucker, Ph.D & Jonathan Dugas, Ph.D for scientific comment and analysis of sporting performance

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