Adapting Techniques: The Evolution of Training in Competitive Swimming

Hey swimmers,

It may well surprise you that - as a distance freestyle swim geek, and someone who shies away from sprinting at every opportunity - my favourite swim of the 2024 Paris Olympics was that of the Men’s 50m Freestyle, won by Australia’s Cameron McEvoy in 21.25 seconds.

Let me discuss why.

3 Olympiads of Woe for 21.25 seconds of Wow!

The London 2012 Olympics, McEvoy’s first, were a very special one for me personally. I was lucky enough to bring my (then) 3 year old son and 9 month old daughter back to the motherland to watch many of the events, including an amazing men’s triathlon won by Alistair Brownlee and the 10km track event won by Mo Farrah. England was ablaze like I’d never seen it before and I was super proud to showcase the best of British with my young family.

Since winning the gold in the 50m and 100m and bronze in the 200m freestyle events at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru, I’d been following the progress of this 17 year old Australian prodigy with keen interest. He was so versatile and not built at all like many of his contemporary sprinters. At 6 inches shorter and 25kg lighter than the winner of the men’s 50m freestyle back in 2012, Florent Manadou from France (who would go on to finish 3rd behind McEvoy in the same event 12 years later), McEvoy seemed incredibly light and relatively small. Whilst his body has evolved now somewhat given his new routine (which we’ll get stuck into), McEvoy is still dwarfed by many of his contemporaries.

A Freestyle Technician of the Highest Order

What also caught my attention was that he held the affectionate nickname of “The Professor” on account of his maths and physics degrees and keen interest in astro physics. McEvoy is reportedly super intelligent and has always been incredibly scientific about his approach to everything in his life. The Australian commentary over the last 12 years has always centred around how McEvoy has such an innate sense of feel for the water, that he’s been able to overcome his seeming size ‘deficit’ through his supremely efficient technique. I’d agree - it’s fantastic. However, McEvoy is also highly philosophical about the public perception of what it means to be talented in this regard which also ties in nicely to our discussion today about ensuring you’re ascertaining the right type of training for you:

"I think it's dangerous to tell young kids there's such a thing as talent. [That] if you don't possess this straight away then you're not going to be good."

Cameron McEvoy (2016)

“The McEvoy Method Could Change Swimming Forever!”

There’s rightly a lot of discussion on the interwebs right now about McEvoy’s amazing resurgence in the sport, how this was his 4th attempt at an Olympic title, and how he completely ripped up his old training program and started again from scratch when the results weren’t forthcoming; and of course, we all love a good renaissance or “phoenix rising from the flames” feel-good story too.Fox Sports even ran with the title,

“Twelve years of torment helped create the ‘McEvoy Method’. It could change swimming forever!”

But, will it really?

With all due respect to a phenomenal performance by McEvoy - my favourite of the entire games - is the ‘McEvoy Method’ anything more than just the right method for the event that he has dedicated his life to? Just as importantly, what can you learn about your own training approach? Is this the bigger story here? It's not just about following a specific method or convincing yourself, as some of my swimmers did this week, that swimming 3km a week—like McEvoy—is sufficient. It's about making sure you're doing what's right for you and your unique swimming goals, whatever they may be.

The Pitfalls of Avoiding Early Specialization

You see, many junior swim programs worldwide tend to have young sprinters doing endurance sets that are more suited for those showing potential in longer-distance events. This often stems from the belief that all young swimmers need to "log the kilometers" and that early specialization should be avoided. On the flip side, juniors who have a knack for distance work might find themselves doing excessive sprint or medley training simply because "that's what the squad is doing today." As a result, neither the aspiring sprinters nor the hopeful distance swimmers fully develop their potential, leaving a muddled middle ground where neither group benefits as much as they could. Middle-distance swimmers might thrive in this setup, but it's not ideal for everyone else.

It's a bit ironic that the "avoid specialization" mindset, which aims to prevent early burnout, ends up pushing young sprinters into training volumes that far exceed what they need, and McEvoy was no different.

After the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, McEvoy found himself at a crossroads. His traditional training program, which emphasized this same, high-volume swimming, seemed to hinder rather than help his progress. Like many swimmers before him, he was clocking up well over 30km a week, believing that more was always better. But the results told a different story.

“Mark Foster is too lazy!”

All the more ironic then that British sprint swimming superstar from the nineties and noughties, Mark Foster, was often labelled “lazy” for not conforming to the type of training volumes that many of his peers were subjecting themselves to.Despite this, Foster dominated the short distances in the British National Championships winning the 50 metres freestyle title 14 times from 1986 until 2004 and the 50 metres butterfly title ten times from 1992 until 2002. Foster broke the World Short Course freestyle record four times, the World Short Course butterfly record twice, and set the World Long Course butterfly record (in 1996) with a time of 24.07 seconds.

During my time with the British World Class Triathlon Team at Bath University, I trained alongside the British Swim Team during the height of Mark Foster's career and we often shared a lane. I recall Mark making an offhand comment one morning about his "endurance" session being just 1,500 meters, while we routinely swam 7 kilometers. This remark raised eyebrows and sparked rumors about him being "a bit soft” by the full-of-bravado triathlon team. The fact remains though, Foz was the one collecting the medals, not us.

Essentially, Foster had worked out his own “McEvoy Method” some 30+ years earlier - it was just that back then, people saw Foz as being “lazy”, whereas nothing could have been further from the truth.

McEvoy: Getting it Right!

Cameron McEvoy's journey to success mirrors Mark Foster’s and aligns beautifully with the principles that all of our Certified Coaches champion here at Swim Smooth. His shift from high-volume training to a quality-driven approach exemplifies tailoring training to individual needs, focusing on technique, efficiency, and enjoyment over sheer volume.

By reevaluating his approach, McEvoy enhanced his speed and power while reigniting his joy for swimming, illustrating the importance of a balanced, holistic training regimen that considers both mental and physical performance aspects. Fox Sports provides a great snapshot as what is entailed.

McEvoy's willingness to question traditional methods and embrace innovation demonstrates his commitment to continuous improvement. By challenging the status quo and exploring new techniques, he highlighted the value of personalized training and the need for an environment where swimmers are encouraged to experiment and grow.

His journey serves as a reminder of the impact of embracing individuality, fostering enjoyment, and prioritizing intelligent training practices. McEvoy's success shows that with the right approach, perseverance, and mindset, achieving one's goals is always within reach.And that, dear swimmer, is why my favourite event of the 2024 Paris Olympics was the Men’s 50m Freestyle! Well done Cam!Have a good week, see you next time!Your coach,Paul

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