{"id":646920,"date":"2026-07-23T04:36:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T11:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=646920"},"modified":"2026-07-23T04:36:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T11:36:51","slug":"stroke-and-turn-officiating-we-have-liftoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/stroke-and-turn-officiating-we-have-liftoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Stroke and Turn Officiating \u2013 We Have Liftoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stroke and Turn Officiating \u2013 We Have Liftoff<\/b><\/p>\n

By Ron Van Pool<\/span><\/p>\n

Stroke and turn officials are indeed the \u201ceyes of the referee.\u201d The foundation of swimming officiating is to ensure that all the athletes are treated fairly and that any benefit of the doubt goes to the swimmer. Throughout the race, the stroke and turn officials observe the swimmers to ensure that the rules are uniformly applied and no one gains an unfair advantage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Artemis II<\/a> crew was well on their way to the moon as I began to write this article. It occurred to me that during the leadup to launch, during the launch, and throughout the space flight, the many engineers that we see and hear at mission control and the launch center are the \u201ceyes of the mission.\u201d They are dedicated to the mission, have studied it in depth, have rehearsed it, and now ensure that the astronauts (also known to us as the swimmers) are cared for and can execute at the highest levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

As stroke and turn officials, we are not unlike the professionals observing and guiding Artemis II. We must:<\/span><\/p>\n