based on
information obtained from Australian Swimming website
Racing Format
50 metre events in each of
the four strokes are swum as elimination events at two minute
intervals, with the last swimmer dropping out until two are left for
the final to decide first and second places.
400 freestyle is presented as
a broken swim with a two minute interval between the 200 sections of
the event and the eventual places are decided by combining the times
of each swimmer for both of his or her 200s.
The "Mystery 200 Individual
Medley" is the only event on the program swum without breaks or
intervals between laps. However, the IMers have to draw lots for
their own order of strokes. With all competitors swimming different
orders of strokes, it is almost impossible to keep track of the
progress of the race until close to the end and only then if there is
a standout athlete lucky enough to have drawn freestyle as his or her
last stroke.
