The start of a competitive swimming is the only land movement and the swimmer achieves the highest speed in the competition. At the start, competitors aim to swim the designated distance as fast as possible, so acquiring high velocity in the horizontal direction is essential. Increasing the flight distance is believed to be important in reducing the swimming distance. However, an upward take-off angle from the starting platform increases the swimming distance. Therefore, a near-horizontal take-off angle is desirable to shorten the record. The take-off velocity and angle from the starting platform depend on the magnitude of the force exerted on the starting platform from the starting signal to take-off. Therefore, swimmers are required to push the starting platform strongly backward to acquire a high takeoff velocity and push it downward to achieve a more horizontal takeoff angle. Although many studies have investigated the movement on the platform in competitive swimming, few studies have examined the differences in the starting movement by gender. Previous studies have reported that gender produces differences in landing and jumping variables (Chappell et al. 2002, Lephart et al. 2002). It is not surprising that movements differ by gender due to variations in muscle strength and limb length. If there are gender differences, then there should also be distinct focal points for each gender in the instruction of the starting motion in competitive swimming. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the gender characteristics of the starting motion in competitive swimming.
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