What are the strokes used in a swimming medley race?

Leeasa

butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medley_swimming Oct 03 12, 1:45 PM

tigasrule

"The medley relay consists of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly then freestyle". Source: http://london2012.olympics.com.au/sports/swimming Oct 03 12, 1:46 PM

tigasrule

In the individual medley, the order is different: "Athletes in the 200m and 400m individual medley events must swim butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke then freestyle." Source: http://london2012.olympics.com.au/sports/swimming Oct 03 12, 1:48 PM

mehaul

I justed asked what they were, not the order that they are swum in. That would make another good question for someone trying to complete a challenge since it has not been asked before. Oct 03 12, 3:58 PM

quogequox

Freestyle is not a stroke, it is as the name suggets free-style. The competitor can swim as they choose. Footage from years gone by shows swimmers racing one another some doing butterfly while others, most, Overhand or Australian Crawl, the fastest of the swimming strokes. On the free-style leg of a medley however, I'm pretty sure you cannot repeat any of the previous strokes, leaving limited options. I for one would love to have seen Michael Phelps flying home for gold and another world record doing a dog paddle, That'd be worth watching. ;) Oct 03 12, 4:33 PM

mehaul

Please, read the references. It is the name of the style used for the fourth and final leg of medley races. The name of the stroke for the last leg is referred to as free-style that doen't mean you have to swim any way you want but most do use "Free Style". Butterfly is both arms together over a face down and stroke back. Backstroke is sequential one arm after the other over a face up and stroke back. Breast stroke is both arms to shoulder face down and stroke back. Free style is approximately an upside down backstroke, arms sequentially over a face down and stroke back. In the breast stroke the legs are kicked in a frog like manner. The other three use a quick scissoring stroke. Another name for what is generally called 'Freestyle' is the forward crawl. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_swimming Oct 03 12, 4:58 PM