Caeleb Dressel vs. Adam Peaty – An Analysis of the 100 Breaststroke

At the 2018 SEC Championship meet, University of Florida swimmer Caeleb Dressel broke the U.S. Open, American, and NCAA records with the fastest 100 yard breaststroke ever recorded. The Florida Gator broke the NCAA and American Records by .01, knocking Kevin Cordes‘s 2014 mark of 50.04 down with his 50.03.

With the collaboration of Stefano Nurra, a video analyst and coach for the Turkish Swimming Federation, the Energy Standard Swim Club, and the Austrian Swimming Federation, we present an analysis of Dressel’s race.

We have also compared the Dressel’s 100 breast with the 100 short course meters race from Adam Peaty European Short Course Championship race.

CAELEB DRESSEL 100 BREAST ANALYSIS

 

 

The analysis of Dressel’s race shows us, the amazing performance of the American athlete.

 

One of the main points is the incredible speed he has to the first 15 meters. 00:05.39 is a good time not just for a breaststroke but for some freestylers!

It is important to remember that Russian swimmer Vlad Morozov swam the 50 meter free at the Europeans in short course with a time of 20.31 his first 15 meter start was a 00:05.22.

Another incredible parameter is the length of underwater phase. He is able to swim 66.49 % of the event underwater, with the times of the first 15 meters of every length being close to the same speed.

This analysis shows us also three marginal gains, the first one a little bit more important than the other two.

After the very fast split of the first 15 meters, there is a low peak of the speed, this is the first breakout.

Before every turn it is possible to observe a little break of the stroke rate, which is not the best approach for the turn.

Towards the end of the race, for sure because of fatigue, both parameters decrease a little, both the stroke rate and distance per stroke are decreasing.

ADAM PEATY 100 BREAST ANALYSIS

 

The analysis of Peaty’s 100 short course meters breaststroke race at the European Short Course Championships, show us an amazing performance of the British athlete.

The main feature is the ability to be efficient in the swimming part, above all at the end of each 25 meters length. It is amazing to see the management of the stroke rate in the swimming part.

The energy showed is absolutely amazing.

Peaty has an unbelievably-fast approach to the wall. This is a very interesting parameter due to the value of stroke rate getting lower compared to the swimming part.

It could be interesting to study the best balance between stroke rate and speed.

Peaty’s breakouts are not as long and the speed of his first 15 metres of every 25 metres is not as fast as that of Dressel’s. It is easy to observe the slower time of the first 15 metres.

THE COMPARISON

Caeleb Dressel and Adam Peaty are currently the leaders of short course 100 breast in the world (with Dressel’s ability in LCM to be determined).

The individual analysis of both Dressel and Peaty shows us some important details both positive and negative.

The matter of real importance is the comparison of both performances to understand two different strategies from two very different athletes. It is very difficult to compare one race in yards with an other in metres. We have only few parameters usefull to compare, of course not the split or lap time.

The main parameter we can analyse  is the speed. In this way we can compare some portion of the race from different courses. It is possible to compare also some other parameters to make a good picture of the races.

 

CONCLUSIONS

To analyze two incredible athletes that swim the same race so differently is very interesting. It is interesting to observe two different strategies and abilities.

The analysis shows us the differences with the measured data and how it seems with a naked eye.

Of course the start is the main point. Dressel’s time in 15 meters is faster, more than a second better than Peaty, almost 20% faster.

The net speed of the entirety of the turns is not so different in the end. The main difference is in the turn. Peaty is absolutely faster approaching the wall and Dressel unbelievably fast off the wall.

Peaty is faster than Dressel at the end of every length.

The length of underwater phase is so different. It is possible to note that the main focus of the American athlete is underwater and the Bristish athlete’s is the swimming part.

Stroke rate and distance per stroke shows us the different management of the race and the different characteristics of both athletes. The main point of the analysis is that both athletes have some marginal gains.

It will be interesting to see the evolution of both athletes and to analyse next important competition when they will swim together. For sure them and their coaches know these details and the will look for ways to improve, especially for Dressel if he continues to pursue the stroke internationally.

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HB Swim Dad
6 years ago

Any way to convert this data into an “efficiency” rating of distance/stroke/second (distance/second + stroke/second) without mixing the turns/o.w./starts – specifically, technique and strategies directly related to the BR stroke itself?

swimmerbritt
Reply to  HB Swim Dad
6 years ago

Dressel has alot of speed and power and hes very consistent once he goes out fast he stays fast petty tends to go out slow up come back fast

swmiimmiier
Reply to  HB Swim Dad
5 years ago

yes

Johnnyquesst
6 years ago

While a deep analytical dive like this is interesting and thought-provoking, Adam Peaty is swimming Breaststroke in a league all his own. His power above the water is ferocious and unrelenting. He makes world-class athletes look like age-groupers in comparison (with all due respect to the competition). With that said, I think Dressel is the Michael Phelps of this era with his raw athleticism and incredible feel for the water across all of the strokes. The endurance he showcased in that record-breaking 200IM is almost unfathomable considering his lights out sprinting abilities. Exciting time to be a swimming fan!

Rafael
Reply to  Johnnyquesst
6 years ago

Not taking anything from that swim.. but I wonder if Phelps or Locthe tried to do the 200 IM seriously at Once on SCY what time would be, specially Locthe who is such a beast on SCM (His 1:49 200 IM WR is proof to that). Or even if VDB tried on his prime a 100 yard Breast

Pvdh
Reply to  Rafael
6 years ago

Uhh…Lochte went to Florida as well and swamghe 2IM fully peaked. Dressel annihilated his best ever times

Pvdh
Reply to  Rafael
6 years ago

Lochte? He swam in college for Florida and swam 2IM peaked a lot. Dressel just went 2 seconds faster than he ever did.

OldTimer
6 years ago

if you don’t make those charts clickable / enlargeable, I don’t see the point in including them….

AfterShock
6 years ago

SCY = Kentucky Derby
SCM = Preakness Stakes
LCM = Belmont Stakes

Aquajosh
6 years ago

I don’t know about comparisons to Peaty, but I read somewhere that Dressel spent something like 6 seconds longer underwater than Cordes did when he set the AR. It makes me wonder what kind of time he’d put up in a 200 yard breast. His stroke in the 100 already looks more like a 200 stroke to me.

Tammy Touchpad Error
Reply to  Aquajosh
6 years ago

He has sub 4 minute LCM 400 IM potential after seeing thaf 100 BR and 28.3 in the IM.

A dedicated 2-4 years of training would do it and he’d look a lot like Phelps except trade Br for Bk and CD would prolly still be able to go sub 47 and a 21.2

Maverick
Reply to  Tammy Touchpad Error
6 years ago

Did you really just say a sub 4 min 400 IM? lol When was the last time he even swam one long course. There’s a big difference from swimming 7-8 strokes breastroke in the 200im. Then having to swim 40-50 as part of a 4 im…. Just because he went 50.0 doesnt mean hes immediately the fastest 4imer ever.

Noflykick
Reply to  Aquajosh
6 years ago

If TEA REX is right and CD swam 60.7 meters of his 100 BR underwater, if he tries to use this stroke/technique for the 200 BR or 400 IM there there is gonna be a huge issue with AIR. These longer events are heavily aerobic dominated and demand O2 in enormous quantities. I’m not sure this can be completely solved simply with conditioning. Image a 400 fr swimmer doing 15m kickouts off every wall, or even just the 3rd 100.

Sir Swimsalot
6 years ago

Imagine how much Peaty could be if he just improved his pullouts to be even with everybody at the start. 56 low would be easy.

Teddy
6 years ago

Interesting! Definetly a difficult comparison given that teir strngths are opposite and there’s no data for Peaty scy and basically none for Dressel LCM. Hats off for taking on the challenge and bringing some quantative analyses.

I give Peaty the edge in metric measurements and Dressel in empirial.

Dressel has been improving an insane amount in breast stroke (lol quantity). There might be some exciting scm races in our future.. or theirs

Tea rex
6 years ago

If my math is right, Peaty swam 61.1 meters and did 38.9 meters underwater.

Dressel swam 30.7 meters and did 60.7 meters underwater. THAT MEANS HE WENT OVER 15 M!!! DQ HIM!!!

Jk.

Seriously though… stroke counts: 18 for CD, 36 for AP. At the same average speed, Dressel would be 54.7 over 100 m (though realistically slower because the extra 8.5 meters would be all above water). Then again, Peaty hardly ever swims short course. He lopped 1.1 seconds off vdBurgh’s LCM record. Compared to vdBurgh’s SCM record, that would put Peaty close to 54 flat.

Teddy
Reply to  Tea rex
6 years ago

Peaty probably doesn’t benefit as much from the turns as CVB… probably doesn’t dolphin kk as much either…

About Giusy Cisale

Giusy Cisale

 GIUSY  CISALE Giusy Cisale graduated high school at the Italian Liceo Classico "T.L. Caro" where she was engaged in editing the school magazine. In 2002, she was among the youngest law graduates of the  Federico II University of Naples (ITA). She began her career as a Civil Lawyer, becoming licensed to practice law …

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