Swimming World Presents “Takeoff to Tokyo: When Backstroke Went Rogue – The Story of Daichi Suzuki and the 1988 Seoul Olympics””

Takeoff to Tokyo: When Backstroke Went Rogue

By John Lohn

It’s been more than 30 years since the underwater dolphin kick altered the landscape of the backstroke event, and never more so than at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul did it play a greater role.

Call it a game of hide and seek, an approach that left the coaches and officials on the deck guessing as much as the spectators who occupied the venue’s seats.

When would they surface? Who would come up first? What kind of advantage would be created? How much late-race damage would the strategy inflict?

It was in South Korea where Japan’s Daichi Suzuki, in a battle with American David Berkoff and the Soviet Union’s Igor Polianski, raced to the gold medal in the 100 meter backstroke while submerged for nearly half of the race, including the opening 30 meters.

With the Olympic Games returning to Japan for the first time since 1964, and since Suzuki plays a key role in Japanese sports, it seems like an appropriate time for our Takeoff to Tokyo series to take a stroll through history.

Specifically, the moment seems right to revisit the defining performance of Suzuki’s career, and an era in which the backstroke discipline went rogue.

To read more about Daichi Suzuki and the 1988 Seoul Olympics backstroke event,
Check out the December issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!

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FEATURES

016 THE TOP 10 PERFORMANCES OF 2019
by David Rieder
This year’s list of top performances in swimming comes exclusively from the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, where world records went down, the world’s best swimmers established themselves with signature performances, and teenagers took down legends in their best events. The list includes the top five performances for both female and male swimmers, with all swimmers eligible to appear only once.

020 2019 SWIMMERS OF THE YEAR
by John Lohn, Dan D’Addona, Craig Lord and David Rieder
World & American: Regan Smith & Caeleb Dressel, European: Katinka Hosszu & Adam Peaty, Pacific Rim: Ariarne Titmus & Daiya Seto, African: Tatjana Schoenmaker & Chad le Clos

026 TAKEOFF TO TOKYO: WHEN BACKSTROKE WENT ROGUE
by John Lohn
It’s been more than 30 years since the underwater dolphin kick altered the landscape of the backstroke event, and never more so than at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul did it play a greater role.

COACHING

010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: XU YIMING
by Michael J. Stott

014 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: THE VERTICAL JUMP TEST FOR EVENT SELECTION
by Rod Havriluk
The vertical jump is a relatively simple test that reflects a swimmer’s muscle fiber composition, which, in turn, can help select a swimmer’s most competitive events. Using the VJ test to identify swimmers likely to excel in sprint or distance events may not only improve performance at an early age, but also avoid losing sprinters who are averse to distance training and distance swimmers who are discouraged by sprinting.

041 Q&A WITH COACH BYRON MacDONALD
by Michael J. Stott

042 HOW THEY TRAIN KYLIE MASSE
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: HOLIDAY TRAINING
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

038 GOLDMINDS: WHAT MAKES GOOD COACHES GREAT?
by Wayne Goldsmith
Coaches change lives. They can inspire ordinary people to achieve remarkable and extraordinary things.

045 UP & COMERS: RYAN HOGAN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS& SPECIAL SECTIONS

008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

009 BEYOND THE YARDS

029 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

044 HASTY HIGH POINTERS

046 DADS ON DECK

047 GUTTERTALK

048 PARTING SHOT

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Swimming World Presents “Takeoff to Tokyo: When Backstroke Went Rogue – The Story of Daichi Suzuki and the 1988 Seoul Olympics””

Takeoff to Tokyo: When Backstroke Went Rogue

Get Swimming World Magazine and Swimming World Biweekly FREE When You Become A Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Want More? Subscribe With This Special 2-Year Offer!

New! 1-Year Digital Only Subscription for just $39.95 Order Now!

Get Swimming World Magazine and Swimming World Biweekly FREE When You
Become A Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame