Japanese women's swimmers study Watanabe's secret turn technique

Since the start of Kazan 2015, I have been reading many related articles every day, and I came across an interview with Watanabe, one of Japan's current leading female swimmers.

The interview was about the secret turns he has been honing for this World Aquatics Championships. ( Click here for more details)

The "secret turn" mentioned in this article refers to the turn that occurs when moving from backstroke to breaststroke in the individual medley, and is the "bucket turn" that has been heard of quite often recently. The turn in the individual medley is constantly evolving, and if you think back, more than 10 years ago, the mainstream turn was the backstroke, but then it changed to the traditional touch turn (the most common in recent years). However, the technique known as the bucket turn has been heard of for the past few years, and it is becoming established as a new variation.

So today I'm researching the advantages and disadvantages of the bucket turn.

First, what is a bucket turn?

As you can see, this is done by quickly changing the body position from a backstroke touch to a sideways change of direction.

This turn is relatively difficult, and you need to practice intensively to master it perfectly. From the perspective of breathing, bucket turns can be quite difficult, so getting used to it on a daily basis is also an important point.

Strong Points:

Time Reduction

Make (or reduce) the gap with your neighbors

Cons:

High difficulty

In backstroke, if the body tilts 90 degrees, the swimmer is disqualified.

Currently, the top swimmers who consistently use bucket turns are Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto, but Watanabe's challenge is still a fresh attempt for women. We hope that Watanabe's secret approach, which he talked about in his interview after entering the athletes' village, will bear fruit.