Competitive Swimming Slang 101
Here are some of the common terms you'll hear around the pool and swim meets.
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 25 | One length of a 25-metre pool |
| 50 | Two lengths |
| 100 | Four lengths |
| 200 | Eight lengths |
| IM | Individual Medley — Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle |
| Fly | Butterfly |
| Back | Backstroke |
| Breast | Breaststroke |
| Free | Freestyle |
| DQ | Disqualification for breaking a race rule |
| Heat | A group of swimmers racing at the same time |
| Seed Time | A swimmer's previous recorded time used to place them in heats |
| PB | Personal Best — a swimmer's fastest time in an event |
| PR | Personal Record — often used the same way as PB |
| Split | A time recorded for part of a race |
| Negative Split | Swimming the second half of a race faster than the first |
| Touch | Finishing a race by touching the wall |
| Relay | A team event where multiple swimmers each swim part of the race |
| Lead-Off | The first swimmer in a relay |
| Anchor | The final swimmer in a relay |