biomechanics

Physical Activity and Sport in Society and Culture 

Funding and Support 

Micheal Phelps has found ways throughout his career to support his training and lifestyle through a combination of his winnings (prize money), sponsorships, endorsements and from the support of USA Swimming. Due to the fact that Phelps is one of the world’s most recognizable athletes, he has secured many major sponsorship deals with companies such as, Visa, Nike, Speedo, Omega, Under Armor, AT&T as well as Subway. These sponsorships have provided him with significant financial support and has allowed him to solely focus on his training and competition, this allowed him to perform at the top level. Micheal Phelps has also benefited greatly from some programs that are offered by USA Swimming as well as the United States Olympics and Paralympic Committee. Unlike most countries that directly fund their top athletes through government programs, athletes of American citizenship often have to rely on sponsorships and support from many sporting organizations instead. These organizations provide elite athletes with access to essential services such as coaching, medical support, training facilities and financial assistance. 

History of Swimming 

Micheal Phelps takes part in the sport of swimming. Swimming is one of the oldest, most known sports and one of the most participated and popular sports to take part in. Competitive swimming started in the early nineteenth century, specifically in Europe, this is where swimming competitions and the creation of swim clubs became increasingly popular. The sport of swimming developed rather quickly after the establishment of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA), or otherwise known as World Aquatics, in 1908. Since the first Olympics Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, swimming has been a part of the Olympics. At first only men were allowed to compete, however, women's swimming events were introduced at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. To this day swimming is known as one of the most popular and widely watched Olympic sports in sports history. 

Controversies Surrounding Swimming

Despite being one of the highest respected sports, swimming has faced several controversies over the years. One major one involved the use of high-tech polyurethane swimsuits. This controversy started as at the 2008 and 2009 competitions many swimmers broke world records while wearing these suits. Companies had developed a full body suit that was designed to improve buoyancy, reduce drag and increase speed in the water. As a result of these suits during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships any swimmers that were wearing these suits had shattered dozens of world records, in 2009 alone over 40 records were broken. Due to this many athletes, officials and coaches argued that the swimsuits had provided an unfair advantage and that the technology used was becoming more important than the athletic ability displayed by the athletes themselves. Many critics believed that the records were only broken because of the swimsuits and not because of the athletes ability. In view of this the World Aquatics sport’s governing body banned the use of polyurethane suits in 2010 and introduced many regulations that regarded swimsuits materials and their designs. To add, just like many other international sports, swimming has also struggled with many cases of athletes using performance enhancing drugs as doping can improve strength, endurance and recovery time. This gives athletes an unfair advantage over others in competition. Because of the use of performance enhancers numerous high-profile swimmers have been suspended after testing positive for banned substances. These incidents and the amount of them have raised concerns about how effective any anti-doping programs will be as the pressure that athletes face to succeed at the elite level is ever growing. To protect the name of the sport and its integrity organizations such as the World-Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as well as the World Aquatics have started to conduct regular drug testing to put penalties and hold any athlete found guilty accountable for their actions of violating the anti-doping rules. Furthermore, because swimming relies primarily on electronic timing systems many controversies have arisen regarding disqualifications and officiating decisions. Some ways that athletes can be disqualified include illegal turns, false starts and improper stroke techniques and because races are often decided by a fraction of second where even minor officiate errors can become controversial. Lastly, swimming has also faced many discussions about gender equality and participation as historically women were not allowed participate in and compete in Olympic swimming until 1912. Since then opportunities for women have increased greatly as rights have become mainly equal. More recently swimming has opened up discussion on transgender athletes. Governing bodies have started to introduce policies that are aimed towards balancing fairness within competitions. All of these controversies show that swimming is not just a test of an athletes performance but also is a sport that continues to address numerous issues such as those pertaining to technology, fairness, inclusion as well as the athletes well-being. 

Participation of Men and Women

Today, both men and women actively participate in competitive swimming at all levels, this includes the Olympic Games. Men and women alike compete in nearly all the same almost identical events and have equal opportunities to earn medals and represent their countries. The sport of swimming has become a model for gender inclusion and equality in international competitions through its popularity. Overall, swimming is a historic and globally celebrated sport that has made great movement in the inclusion of women in sports today.