Which swimming stroke was not introduced to the Olympics until 1956?

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 13 swimming events were contested, seven for men and six for women. There was a total of 235 participants from 33 countries competing. For the first time, the butterfly stroke was contested as a separate event.

The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the chest, with both arms moving symmetrically, accompanied by the butterfly kick (also known as the "dolphin kick"). While other styles like the breaststroke, front crawl, or backstroke can be swum adequately by beginners, the butterfly is a more difficult stroke that requires good technique as well as strong muscles. It is the newest swimming style swum in competition, first swum in 1933 and originating out of the breaststroke.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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20 Comments

M.C.F

It takes a lot out of you I don’t get too far

earlepg

Read about this stroke here on QC not too long ago.

Irene Townsend

Knew it was backstroke or butterfly, picked wrong one.

Char

Figures that was it and I figured right..had heard of all others but that one last in life right before I learned to swim.

Mark Souza

Butterfly was an evolution of breast stroke. There were rules to maintain breast stroke as its own form, but swimmers found a way to skirt the rules and still comply with the existing rules. By clearing the arms out of the water during recovery, it reduced water drag and was much faster than traditional breast stroke. The governing body enhanced the rules governing breast stroke, the most regulated of all swimming strokes, to eliminate clearing the water with the arms, and simultaneously create the butterfly category.

Peter Robertson

A useless invented stroke. Very few would use it,if drowning,it takes too much energy.All the other strokes have a useful purpose. By the way,when are the olympics going to have running events for people going backwards,and slowly as in backstroke and breaststroke. Swimmers win hatfuls of medals in races where they are slower than an average highschool kid.