WHICH FACTORS ARE INFLUENCING ARTISTIC SWIMMING PERFORMANCE?

Authors

  • Stavroula Ntomali School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
  • Manolis Adamakis School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland
  • Fotini Venetsanou School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
  • Chrysoula Chairopoulou School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
  • Maria Psychountaki School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v6i12.3674

Keywords:

artistic swimming, rhythmic ability, performance, athletic experience, FINA

Abstract

Rhythmic ability (RA) plays an important role in sports in which music accompaniment is used, such as artistic swimming (AS). The aim of the present study was to investigate RA's relationship with the athletes’ overall performance in AS, as well as the independent scores of AS performance (i.e., Execution, Artistic Impression and Difficulty), taking into account their competitive category and experience. The sample consisted of 47 female artistic swimmers (age 15.8±3.3 years; athletic experience 6.6±3.3 years) divided into three competitive categories (Senior, Junior, and Comen). The High/Scope Rhythmic Competence Αnalysis Τest (Weikart, 1989) was used for the evaluation of RA of participants. Three official AS judges were used to assess athletes’ performance in the water routine session. Descriptive and inferential (i.e., two MANCOVAs) statistical analysis revealed that experience was a significant positive predictor of AS Performance and RA, indicating that as experience increased, athletes’ AS performance and RA also increased. In addition, results showed that athletes in the senior category scored higher in all variables in relation to junior and comen athletes; however, these differences were not statistically significant.

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Author Biographies

  • Stavroula Ntomali, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    Stavroula Ntomali (PhD), Specialized educational staff, Section of Aquatic Sports, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, Email: sdomali@phed.uoa.gr
  • Manolis Adamakis, School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland
    Manolis Adamakis, Lecturer in Physical Education, School of Education, University College Cork, Ireland, Email: manosadam@phed.uoa.gr
  • Fotini Venetsanou, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    Fotini Venetsanou, Associate Professor, Section of Gymnastics and Dance, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, Email: fvenetsanou@phed.uoa.gr
  • Chrysoula Chairopoulou, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    Chrysoula Chairopoulou, Associate Professor, Section of Aquatic Sports, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, Email: cchairop@phed.uoa.gr
  • Maria Psychountaki, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    Maria Psychountaki, Professor of Psychology-Sport Psychology, School of Physical Education & Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, Email: mpsychou@phed.uoa.gr

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Published

2021-04-09

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 12 (2021)

Section

Articles

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