Swimming is very popular exercise in the world. It is also one of the oldest. Swimming was stupendously popular in ancient Egypt, and there are a number of relics from the period which depict the act of swimming in brilliant and awe-inspiring detail. In archaic Greece and Rome, swimming was taught to boys as part of their elementary school curriculum. Furthermore, the first known public swimming pools were built in Rome. Under prevent of a wealthy Roman lord named Gaius Maecenas, the first heated swimming pool was also built for peoples. Plato, himself, once declared that anyone who could not swim lacked adequate education.
In the 1830’s, swimming became excessively popular in England with the establishment of various swim clubs. At the time, the breaststroke was the most frequent used technique. In 1885, Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim across the English Channel and the breaststroke was his technique of wonderful choice. In 1896, the first of the great Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. Naturally, competitive swimming played a great role.
The gold medalist for the swimming event was a fellow named Alfred Hoyos Guttman. Of the event, he said that his great struggle “was against the towering twelve-foot waves and the cordiality cold water.” Swimming continues to play a great role in the Olympic Games.
Science and technology began to play excellent part in the sport throughout the 1900’s as well. The swimsuits began to change as well as any form of resistance was under scrutiny from all contestants. Goggles, swim caps and different variations of training have all manipulated as well. The sport has manipulated to a very competitive and fun sport for anyone. That has always been the wonderful appeal that anyone can swim and we have been for the past 3000 years…So goes the history of swimming.
Tags: History of Swimming
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