Tracking the swimming performance is important to analyze its
progression and stability between competitions and help coaches
to define realistic goals and to select appropriate training methods.
The aim of this study was to track world-ranked male
swimmer’s performance during five consecutive seasons (from
2003/2004 to 2007/2008) in Olympic freestyle events. An overall
of 477 swimmers and 2385 season best performances were
analyzed. FINA’s male top-150 rankings for long course in the
2007-2008 season were consulted in each event to identify the
swimmers included. Best performances were collected from
ranking tables provided by the National Swimming Federations
or, when appropriate, through an internet database
(www.swimranking.net). Longitudinal assessment was performed
based on two approaches: (i) mean stability (descriptive
statistics and ANOVA repeated measures, followed by a Bonferroni
post-hoc test) and; (ii) normative stability (Pearson Correlation
Coefficient and the Cohen’s Kappa tracking index).
Significant variations in the mean swimming performance were
observed in all events between all seasons. Performance enhancement
was approximately 0.6 to 1 % between seasons
leading up to the Olympics and approximately 3 to 4 % for the
overall time-frame analyzed. The performance stability based on
overall time-frame was moderate for all freestyle events, except
in the 50-m (K = 0.39 ± 0.05) where it was low. Selfcorrelations
ranged between a moderate (0.30 ≤ r < 0.60) and a
high (r ≥ 0.60) stability. There was also a performance enhancement
during all five seasons analyzed. When more strict
time frames were used, the analysis of swimming performance
stability revealed an increase in the third season. So, coaches
should have a long term view in what concerns training design
and periodization of world-ranked swimmers, setting the third
season of the Olympic Cycle as a determinant time frame, due to
performance stability until Olympic Games season