AI is transforming competitive swimming at the collegiate and professional level. New developments in technology such as USA Swimming’s FINIS LaneVision allow coaches to access biometrics and data from their athletes, and to then suggest methods of improvement tailored to each swimmer.
AI is transforming competitive swimming at the collegiate and professional level. New developments in technology such as USA Swimming’s FINIS LaneVision allow coaches to access biometrics and data from their athletes, and to then suggest methods of improvement tailored to each swimmer.
LaneVision analyzes stroke rate and distance, underwater velocity and splits—using only a camera. The goal is that with the fusion of AI data and the experience of a coach, competitive swimmers will have the fastest track to their goals.
While this technology has already been implemented in swimming-focused colleges and in preparation for the July 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, not all young swimmers agree with its use. “I guess it’s kinda like cheating,” says Mason James, a junior who swims for a Shreveport regional high-school league. “AI models can’t really experience water the way swimmers do.”
While AI applications don’t seem to belong in the water, the future of swimming has certainly been influenced by this emerging technology.
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