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Article

Evaluation of Race Pace Using Critical Swimming Speed During 10 km Open-Water Swimming Competition

1
Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Osaka Sangyo University, Osaka 574-0013, Japan
2
Department of Health and Sports, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata 950-3198, Japan
3
College of Sports Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo 154-0002, Japan
4
Kinoshita Group Co., Ltd., Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
5
Graduate Schol of Sport System, Kokushikan University, Tokyo 206-8515, Japan
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(3), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030302
Submission received: 9 June 2025 / Revised: 23 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 3 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Athletic Training and Human Performance)

Abstract

Background: Estimating race times for open-water swimming based on pool swimming times could be useful for talent identification and training optimisation. We aimed to compare the swimming speeds of the world’s top and other swimmers in the 2023 Aquatics Championship men’s 10 km OWS race. Methods: Sixty-five swimmers were divided into four groups: G1 (1st–10th positions), G2 (11st–30th positions), G3 (31st–47th positions), and G4 (48th–65th positions). Swimming speed, stroke frequency (SF), and stroke length (SL) for each lap (laps 1–6) were recorded. Critical speed (CS) was calculated from each participant’s personal best times in the 400, 800, and 1500 m freestyle events in the pool. Swimming speed against CS was calculated (%CS). Results: The top performance group (G1) maintained their swimming speed from beginning (lap 1, 1.53 m/s) to end (lap 6, 1.50 m/s), at 92.7 ± 1.9% of CS, characterised by longer SL (1.26 m) and lower SF (72.86 rpm). G3 and G4 were unable to maintain their swimming speed, which decreased from G3: 97.64 ± 1.62% and G4: 96.10 ± 1.96% of CS at lap 1 to G3: 88.39 ± 3.78% and G4: 85.13 ± 5.04% at lap 6. This reduction in swimming speed is consistent with the increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism reported in previous studies under similar conditions. Conclusions: Race pacing for maintaining speeds of 92%CS throughout the race could be an important resilient index in open-water swimming. %CS might be a useful index for estimating the athletic performance level in open-water swimming.
Keywords: long-distance swimming; endurance performance; physiological intensity; performance prediction long-distance swimming; endurance performance; physiological intensity; performance prediction

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MDPI and ACS Style

Fujito, Y.; Fujimoto, T.; Hara, R.; Yoshida, R.; Funato, K. Evaluation of Race Pace Using Critical Swimming Speed During 10 km Open-Water Swimming Competition. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10, 302. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030302

AMA Style

Fujito Y, Fujimoto T, Hara R, Yoshida R, Funato K. Evaluation of Race Pace Using Critical Swimming Speed During 10 km Open-Water Swimming Competition. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2025; 10(3):302. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030302

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fujito, Yasunori, Tomomi Fujimoto, Reira Hara, Ryuhei Yoshida, and Kazuo Funato. 2025. "Evaluation of Race Pace Using Critical Swimming Speed During 10 km Open-Water Swimming Competition" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10, no. 3: 302. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030302

APA Style

Fujito, Y., Fujimoto, T., Hara, R., Yoshida, R., & Funato, K. (2025). Evaluation of Race Pace Using Critical Swimming Speed During 10 km Open-Water Swimming Competition. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 10(3), 302. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10030302

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