Variation in competition performance, number of races, and age: Long-term athlete development in elite female swimmers

Born, Dennis-Peter; Lomax, Ishbel; Romann, Michael (2020). Variation in competition performance, number of races, and age: Long-term athlete development in elite female swimmers PLoS One, 15(11), pp. 1-14. Public Library of Science (PLoS) 10.1371/journal.pone.0242442

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While talent development and the contributing factors to success are hardly discussed among the experts in the field, the aim of the study was to investigate annual variation in competition performance (AVCP), number of races per year, and age, as potential success factors for international swimming competitions. Data from 40'277 long-course races, performed by all individual female starters (n = 253) at the 2018 European Swimming Championships (2018EC) for all 10 years prior to these championships, were analyzed. Relationships between 2018EC ranking and potential success factors, i.e., AVCP, number of races per year, and age, were determined using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analysis. While AVCP was not related to ranking, higher ranked swimmers at the 2018EC swam more races during each of the ten years prior to the championships (P < 0.001). Additionally, older athletes were more successful (r = -0.42, P < 0.001). The regression model explained highly significant proportions (P < 0.001) and 43%, 34%, 35%, 49% of total variance in the 2018EC ranking for 50m, 100m, 200m, and 400m races, respectively. As number of races per year (β = -0.29 --0.40) had a significant effect on ranking of 50-400m races, and age (β = -0.40 --0.61) showed a significant effect on ranking over all race distances, number of races per year and age may serve as success factors for international swimming competitions. The larger number of races swum by higher ranked female swimmers may have aided long-term athlete development regarding technical, physiological, and mental skill acquisitions. As older athletes were more successful, female swimmers under the age of peak performance, who did not reach semi-finals or finals, may increase their chances of success in following championships with increased experience.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Swiss Federal Institute of Sports Magglingen SFISM > EHSM - Leistungssport > Trainingswissenschaft
Name:	Born, Dennis-Peter0000-0002-1058-4367; Lomax, Ishbel and Romann, Michael0000-0003-4139-2955
ISSN:	1932-6203
Publisher:	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Language:	English
Submitter:	Service Account
Date Deposited:	17 Mar 2021 10:22
Last Modified:	03 Nov 2023 09:54
Publisher DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0242442
Related URLs:	Publication
PubMed ID:	33206722
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Achievement Adult Aptitude physiology Athletes psychology Athletic performance Competitive behavior Female Humans Swimming Young adult
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.14422
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/14422