The most detailed side-by-side analysis of top-level swimming is on this website from Zurich. Here's the introduction: "A full cycle of Grant Hackett's and Ian Thorpe's freestyle swimming is analysed by means of underwater video. The comments are based on modern views of freestyle swimming technique which was developed in Russia (Popov), Australia, and the US since the early 1990ies. The sequence shown is taken from the 800 m freestyle final in Fukuoka 2001, which means world record pace." Here's a bit of the conclusion: "Thorpe splashes less when he enters his arms, his chest and hips remain more constantly in a horizontal position trough out the whole cycle."
Thanks to Tony Austin, a master swimmer and blogger with the Southern California Aquatics SCAQ Club. The rest of his blog has a lot of great material, too.
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