swimming

Keeping count of repetitions in any sporting endeavor is surprisingly challenging, be it push-ups, wind sprints, or golf shots. Trying to keep count with water between your ears leaves many swimmers pruning in the wet stuff longer than necessary. The brand new Pool-Mate watch is the first automatic lap counter, promising to help the swimming world count to ten.

“Faster. Stronger. Higher.” Michael Phelps brought unwanted attention to his interpretation of the last word of the Olympic motto, so the swimming world is probably happy to shift focus back to the ongoing controversy regarding “faster.”

If you've ever been in the ocean in the vicinity of large breaking waves and have been unfortunate enough to get steamrolled by a wall of whitewater, you may have noticed how much more difficult it is to get back up to the surface through the whitewater compared to smooth water. Why is this? While it may be due in part to the difficulty in "gripping" the aerated water (to pull yourself to the surface you have to apply a force downward against the water such that it pushes upward on you), it also has to do with a reduction in your buoyancy, due to the lower density of the whitewater.

How did the heck did we miss this one? When profiling the science behind synchronized swimming we covered everything from hair products to underwater speakers. But the technology making a buzz in the pool at Beijing is actually a set of underwater lights – get this – attached to the swimsuits.

Every four years, we watch. We marvel at badminton and wonder about the modern decathlon. With more than 300 gold medals awarded across 37 disciplines, our lives are suddenly much less productive. To aid in your immersion, we continue with our daily edition of "know your Olympic sport," by answering some and posing some questions about the science of Michael Phelps (and swimming).

Every four years, we watch. We marvel at badminton and wonder about the modern decathlon. With more than 300 gold medals awarded across 37 disciplines, our lives are suddenly much less productive. To aid in your immersion, we continue with our daily edition of “know your Olympic sport,” by diving into synchronized swimming.

Inside we’ll explain what the sport has in common with the war on terror and why every swimmer worth her hair bun abides by the power of horse cartilage. Go ahead, check it out. Nobody is looking, and we won’t tell.

Who better to design technology for the pool then Speedo? Most underwater MP3 options consist of cases for an iPod, an awkward, uncomfortable, clunky device for enthusiasts wanting to spend hours in the pool. The Aquabeat, launched this summer ($150), is one the first MP3 players truly designed for underwater use. It even floats.

Despite its name, the dolphin kick—the motion that propels the swimmer forward underwater after he dives in and at the turns—isn’t just about the legs. It requires a swimmer’s entire body to crack like a whip, creating a fluid wave that starts at the chest and increases in amplitude as it travels all the way through the toes. In the best swimmers, this wave moves at about nine feet every second, about half the speed an actual dolphin performs the same motion. To move this quickly, whole-body flexibility is key.