{"id":409868,"date":"2020-02-14T05:30:24","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T12:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=409868"},"modified":"2020-02-14T12:08:04","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T19:08:04","slug":"where-did-the-step-over-relay-starts-originate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/where-did-the-step-over-relay-starts-originate\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Did The Step-Over Relay Starts Originate?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The step-over relay starts have become a staple in many swim team’s practice routines. But who was it that started the movement?<\/em><\/p>\n

As college championship season is starting to get underway this February with conference and then eventually the NCAAs in March, relays will play a huge role in the team standings. Relays provide momentum for the next day, and can make or break a team’s placing in the scores. Relays are important so it is imperative to not make a mistake on the turns, finishes, or the exchanges.<\/p>\n

In looking at any of the relays at the conference championships this month, one will notice a common trend in the relay starts from the majority of the teams. The swimmer will hold their arms out in front of them to track the swimmer coming in. They will have their dominant foot sitting behind the wedge on the starting block while the non-dominant foot will be on the wedge. As the swimmer comes in, the one on the block will jump their dominant foot to the front of the block as they dive into the pool, creating momentum and velocity into the water.<\/p>\n

In case that was too confusing to read, here is what that looks like as performed by Caeleb Dressel\u00a0<\/strong>in 2017:<\/p>\n