The Final Meters: How a Split Second Can Change the Outcome
Imagine you are watching your favorite Olympic swimmer in a close race. They have the lead and are pushing to get to the wall. Then, a split second later, another swimmer begins to catch up to your favorite. You hold your breath, your eyes glued to the race in front of you. The two swimmers are now side by side, challenging each other to win the gold. It is anyone’s race.
Then, your favorite slams their hand into the wall – winning the race by only a fraction of a second.
Close races can be some of the most exciting to watch, and swimming is one of the only sports where a fraction of a second can alter the results of an important race.
Phelps’ Seventh Gold in Beijing
Michael Phelps entered the Beijing Olympic Games with the goal of winning eight gold medals. However, his seventh race – the 100-meter butterfly – almost ended his history making run.
“At no point in that race did it look like he’d win. But Phelps’ split-second decision at the end of a stunning comeback is his greatness actualized. He did what most wouldn’t have, and it got him the gold medal, out-touching Milorad Čavić by .01 of a second,” Michelle Martinelli wrote in the online article The Olympic race Michael Phelps had no business winning proves why he’s the GOAT.
Throughout the first 50 of the race, Serbian swimmer Čavić led the field and Phelps trailed behind. At the turn, Phelps was only seventh out of the eight competitors. Catching Čavić seemed like an impossible task.
However, Phelps was able to explode off the wall and was able to make up some ground underwater. Then, in the last 25, Phelps charged, catching up to Čavić. As the two approached the finish, they were neck and neck with Čavić only having a slight lead.
Čavić finished the race by fully extending his arms in a glide, in an effort to be the first to the wall and deny Phelps Olympic gold. Phelps, however, decided to take a half stroke – which most coaches would advise against. Phelps knew that he was behind Čavić and knew if he took another full stroke he would lose the race. So he took a half stroke instead. And it worked!
The official results came in. Phelps won the gold medal with a time of 50.58. Čavić took the silver medal with a time of 50.59.
History was preserved – by .01.
Lezak’s Final Relay Leg in Beijing
The 2008 Beijing Olympics were filled with close races. Phelps was trying to win his record-breaking eight gold medals. The men’s 4 x 100 meter relay played a critical role. But, it was not Phelps who won the relay for Team USA. Instead, it was 32-year-old Jason Lezak.
Lezak – the anchor swimmer of Team USA’s relay – entered the water a half second after France’s Alain Bernard. Bernard went into the race as the 100-meter world record holder. On paper, Lezak didn’t have much of a chance to win.
“A three-time Olympian, Lezak had been in this predicament before. He anchored the American 4×100 relay teams at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics that came up short. This time, he was part of a photo finish,”
During the first 25 meters, Lezak swam near the lane line that separated him and Bernard in the hopes of catching the record holder. Still, Lezak trailed Bernard by a half body length for the majority of the race and it seemed as though the pool would end before he could catch up.
The last 25 meters came and Lezak put his head down. With each stroke, Lezak managed to pull closer to the Frenchman, and at the finish, it was Lezak who got his hand on the wall first, winning by .08. Lezak managed to perform what was the impossible.
How Do You Win a Close Race?
Close swim races can be some of the most exciting, heart stopping, races to watch. It is always interesting to see a trailing swimmer suddenly surge forward and take the lead in the last 25 meters. But what should a competitive swimmer do to avoid being passed. Well, there is no concrete answer to that. You can’t control another swimmer, no matter how much you might want to. However, you can control how well you swim. Put your head down and keep pushing. Don’t focus on the other swimmers in the pool. Focus on yourself and what you can do in order to get to the wall as quickly as possible.
And maybe that effort will be the fractional difference on the clock that was needed for victory.