Swimming was awesome. I’m going to miss watching all of them- especially Adrian!
Michael Phelps looks so sweetly happy.
Fabulous team of guys tonight. It’s definitely a moment.
I think its interesting to watch the differing swimming technique and the evolvement of swimming technique for certain events. Watching the Italian Paltrinieri win the 1500m freestyle, he doesn’t really use his legs at all, unlike his competitors and is purely powering through the water on upper body strength. Phelps has a weaker kick, too, but its much more exaggerated with Paltrinieri. I know from reading that the legs do much less to add power so some choose to focus on their upper body strength, not exerting their energy on legs.
You are correct about energy use. Most distance swimmers use two-beat kicking, mostly to stabilize the body, while sprinters use six-beat kicking.
http://www.enjoy-swimming.com/flutter-kick.html
Ever noticed how distance runners do not pump their arms like sprinters do? Same idea - cost/benefit analysis. 
I don’t think Paltrinieri does even a 2-beat.
I didn’t watch Paltrinieri’s kick that closely, but if you watch Katie Ledecky from start of her longer races to the end, she picks the kick up dramatically as she has a few 100 meters to go. These swimmers spend hours in the gym and strategize their races down to every turn, kick and breath; it annoys me to no end to hear our local idiotic radio sports guys say swimmers are not true athletes. (I’d like to see one of them jump in the pool and swim butterfly for one length of a 25-YARD pool and see how they do)!
Simone Manuel - such a genuine pleasure to watch in and out of the pool.
Michael Phelps - so happy for him; I will miss him. I cried finally during that last medal ceremony @Youdon’tsay!
I have a huge old lady crush on Nathan Adrian.
And on to track - Meb!! Class act.
Interesting article in this week’s SI about an “intersex” (I am quoting because that is the term, and it is new to me, no judgment) woman from South Africa who runs the 800 and blows everyone else off the track. She basically looks like a guy and has significantly higher natural testosterone than women so has a distinct advantage. I will not comment on how I feel about this, because it is too sensitive a topic (for this thread anyway), but it’s an interesting read. I am looking forward to seeing her run.
Darn, I didn’t see Meb.
Ditto on Nathan Adrian. Eye candy, plus he interviews well.
Women’s marathon on right now . . . warm and humid conditions. 
Here’s a video that shows the leg action (or lack thereof) that I was trying to explain for Paltrinieri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obl8y_4KEYs
All 3 US women in top 10. That’s excellent. No medals, but great job from my favorite runners!
Awesome marathon running, team USA. Can’t wait fo watch the guys. The conditions were brutal!
I’m amazed at the 50 meter swim. The head isn’t coming out of the water for even one breath for some of these swimmers.
@doschicos We noticed Paltrinieri’s kick during the 1500. That kick is more about keeping the body aligned, it does nothing to propel a swimmer forward. A 4 or 6 beat kick is used for propulsion. A distance swimmer can’t use the faster kick from the beginning because it expends too much energy. My daughter’s coach used to say 'the arms get you there, the legs take you home".
Before we had a swimmer in the family, we didn’t appreciate just how technical the sport is. We were also unaware of the level of dedication and grinding work necessary just to be an ok competitive swimmer.
Considering how fast they swim, 21-25 seconds is not long enough to need to take a breath. Remember Misty Hyman’s swimming style? She swam almost the entire length of the pool underwater (FINA changed the rules to DQ swimmers who would not surface after a certain mark).
There is a sport of finswimming, and some of the events are “apnea” underwater events meaning no breath for 50 meters. Fascinating stuff!
Holy JPMorgan! Lochte was robbed at gunpoint!!!
When I was a kid, I could swim at least 30 meters underwater without coming up and I was neither a competitive swimmer nor fast at all. One can definitely train oneself to have that stamina and I’m sure with their training and fitness, its something they manage relatively easily.
The denials are very strange.
50 meter swimmers can afford apnea/anaerobic swimming. After all, they are done after 50 meters. Notice that 100 m swimmers start breathing during their first 50 - or they will get in trouble.