Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming
By (author) John Lohn
Publication date:
30 August 2010Length of book:
356 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressISBN-13: 9780810867758
Swimming has been an Olympic sport since the inception of the Games, with the 100, 400, and 1500 freestyles being the original events along with the 100 freestyle for sailors. While the spirit of the sport remains the same, the technology and the competitive formats have advanced tremendously through the years. The number of events contested in competition has increased to the point where the program for a typical international meet, such as the World Championships or Olympics, produces a true reflection of the best swimmers over various distances and in different strokes.
The Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming examines the sport of swimming since its inception as a competitive athletic event. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and appendixes that detail Olympic and World Championships medal winners. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on individuals, major competitions, and there are also entries for each of the competitive strokes and countries that have enjoyed significant success in the sport.
The Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming examines the sport of swimming since its inception as a competitive athletic event. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and appendixes that detail Olympic and World Championships medal winners. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on individuals, major competitions, and there are also entries for each of the competitive strokes and countries that have enjoyed significant success in the sport.
Scarecrow Press has initiated a new series, Historical Dictionaries of Sports. The first title in the series is Historical Dictionary of Competitive Swimming (next up are basketball and golf). Author Lohn comes with the necessary credentials: he is the senior writer for Swimming World Magazine. Competitive swimming is examined through an introductory essay, a chronology that begins in 1875 with Matthew Webb's swim across the English Channel and ends with the thirteenth world championships in 2009, and a chronology of the career of Michael Phelps. The main part of the volume, the dictionary, has 500 cross-referenced entries that cover individuals, competitions, the competitive swimming strokes, and various countries that have been competitive in the sport. Twenty-one appendixes cover topics such as world-championship winners and Olympic medalists. The resource ends with a 5-page topical bibliography. Libraries with large sports collections or where competitive swimming is important for their communities will want to add this resource.