16 year old Alana Berlin of Schroeder YMCA in Wisconsin swam a full 50 underwater in a meet this past weekend. Full video of the race can be seen below.
Although Berlin was ultimately disqualified in the race for going past 15 meters underwater, the swim is still impressive. One may ask why the 15 meter rule is even a thing.
Science can help explain this. As seen in the video, Berlin beats the rest of her heat by over a body length and a half (and most of them by 2-3 body lengths). Swimming is faster underwater than it is over the water due to the lack of surface tension that one faces when swimming above the water.
Berlin’s coach told SwimSwam that the motivation for the 50 free was to see if she has improved and “increased her speed/ capacity to kick underwater” as this was Berlin’s second time doing the full 50 free underwater LCM. Previously, she had gone a 27low around a year ago, so that goal was achieved. In addition, her coach also said another goal was “to see if she could maintain kick tempo as she progresses down the pool.”
It is not uncommon for swimmers to compete in meets and do a full 50 underwater. Ryan Lochte took the disqualification back in 2015 and had done so numerous times before.
One of the most famous swimmers who was known for swimming underwater for much of his race was David Berkoff, Katharine Berkoff‘s father. David Berkoff swam 32 meters underwater off his start in his LCM 100 backstroke and earned the term the “Berkoff Blast.”
Berlin has a *legal* best time of 27.57 in the LCM 50 free which she swam last month at the Indy Spring Cup. Her best events are the SCY 100 back (52.31) and 100 fly (52.58).
I would eliminate the underwater distance restriction and just ban the use of nose clips.
The youngsters are showing us the future. Make underwater it’s own stroke- with safety considerations- and cut it out of fly back etc. Surface by 10m long course, 8m short course. Then we can actually see who is fastest at the actual STROKES, not the underwaters.
Congrats to Alana Berlin for a PR in the 50m Free underwater. Impressive. Although David Berkoff gets credit (32 meters under water is amazing) for the Berkoff Blastoff – a young woman from Auburn University (I can not recall her name) deserves some credit for the first championship level under water swim in the 1980 AIAW (before NCAA took control of women’s athletics) championships at the University of South Carolina. She swam 80% of the 50-yard backstroke under water (both individual and on the 200MR) because of a shoulder injury. She did go on to make ‘A’ finals in the 50. I am hoping someone who reads Swim Swam can remember her name.
Way to regurgitate half of the article.
I would think it’s a safety thing to discourage breath holding. My kids witnessed a great swimmer trying to swim under as far as they could. Swimmer passed out and nearly drowned in 4 feet of water. Be safe kids!
Wasn’t it fondly referred to as the Berkoff blast off?
Yes, it most definitely was.
Saw it live at the 1988 trials in Austin, just amazing and revolutionary. 2 WRs in one day.
This should be an official event
It is already its own sport! 🙂
It’s pretty much the 5th stroke so why not
I wonder how multiple breastroke pullouts would compare to a 50 breast.
I like how we’ve gone from “Katharine Berkoff, David Berkoff’s daughter” to this