Freestyle is one of the official swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. However, it is technically not a style, as there are very few regulations about the way freestyle has to be swum. Most swimmers choose to swim front crawl during freestyle, as this style provides the fastest speed.
Freestyle swimming competitions can be any of the unregulated strokes such as front crawl, dog paddle, or sidestroke. Individual freestyle competitions can also be swum in one of the officially regulated strokes (breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke). The freestyle part of medley competitions, however, cannot use breaststroke, butterfly, or backstroke. Most competitive swimmers will choose to swim front crawl during freestyle competitions, as this style provides the fastest speed. Freestyle competitions have also been swum completely and partially in other styles, especially at lower ranking competitions. During the Olympic Games, front crawl is swum almost exclusively during freestyle.
Freestyle means any style for individual distances and any style but breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke for medley competitions. The wall has to be touched at every turn and upon completion. One part of the swimmer has to be above water at any time except for the first 15 m after the start and every turn. This rule was introduced to avoid the dangers of swimmers passing out during underwater swimming. (see: History of swimming). The exact FINA rules are: *Freestyle means that in an event so designated the swimmer may swim any style, except that in individual medley or medley relay events, freestyle means any style other than backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly. *Some part of the swimmer must touch the wall upon completion of each length and at the finish. *Some part of the swimmer must break the surface of the water throughout the race, except it shall be permissible for the swimmer to be completely submerged during the turn and for a distance of not more than 15 meters after the start and each turn. By that point the head must have broken the surface.
There are eight common competitions swum in freestyle swimming, both over either a long course (50 m pool) or a short course (25 m pool). The United States also employs short course yards (25 yard pool). Of course, other distances are also swum on occasions. *50 m Freestyle *100 m Freestyle *200 m Freestyle *400 m Freestyle (500 yards for short course yards) *800 m Freestyle (1000 yards for short course yards) *1500 m Freestyle (1650 yards for short course yards) *4×100 m Freestyle Relay *4×200 m Freestyle Relay
Young swimmers (typically 8 years old and younger) may swim a 25 yard or 25 meter freestyle event. These shorter events are usually for swimmers who are slower than similarly aged swimmers or may have difficulty swimming longer distances.
Freestyle is also part of the medley over the following distances: *100 m Individual Medley (short 25 m pool only) *200 m Individual Medley *400 m Individual Medley *4×100 m Medley Relay
In the long distance races of 800 m and 1500 m, meets hosted by FINA (including the Olympics) only have the 800 m distance for women and the 1500 m distance for men. However, FINA does keep records in the 1500 meter distance for women and the 800 meter distance for men, and many meets in the United States have both distances for both genders.The 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships had an 800 meter distance for men, and 1500 meter distance for women, and appear to have been conducted on this basis since 1989. The 2006 USA Swimming Summer Nationals have both events, as do the 2006 USA Swimming Summer Junior Nationals and the 2005 USMS Long Course Nationals.
All records were achieved in finals unless otherwise specified. Records with an asterisk (*) after the time indicate that they have been attained since the last FINA world records list.
