SWIMMING TALK

New to swimming? Or are you just not sure what something means, in either case hopefully you'll find what you're looking for on this list.
Pools
Longcourse -
Refers to any swimming pool 50m long, hence any longcourse championships will be held in a 50m pool.
Shortcourse -
For a pool to be classed as shortcourse it must be either 25 yards or 25m long.
Races
DQ
Disqualified. You can be 'DQ-ed' for any number of different things in a particular event. Usually, people are disqualified for severe stroke errors or incorrect turns and finishes.
DNQ
Did Not Qualify. Found in results to indicate a swimmer did not progress from the heats to the final.
DNS
Did Not Start. This will sometimes appear next to a swimmers name in the results of an event which they had entered but either did not turn up for or withdrew from.
DNF
Did Not Finish. Also found in the results, this indicates that a swimmer failed to finish the race.
Heat
A preliminary round to determine which swimmers go on to the final. Swimmers will usually be put in entered time order, with the fastest swimmers going in the last heat.
Splits
Time it takes to complete a given section of a race. For example, your 50m split on a 100m swim would be the time it took you to complete the first 50m of the race. Splits can be very helpful when planning how to pace an event.
Individual Medley
Race in which a different stroke is swum for each 1/4 of the race. Usually either a 100m, 200m or 400m distance. Strokes are swum in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, frontcrawl order.
Freestyle
An event in which any stroke can be used. Almost always swimmers use frontcrawl as it the quickest of the four strokes.
Blocks
The same principle as starting blocks in a running race. Swimmers use these as a small platform from which to launch themselves into the water at the start of a race.
Training
Taper
This is a technique used mainly to prepare for important meets. Started a few weeks before the event, the swimmer will decrease the amount of meters swam each session, while resting more and increasing the intensity of their sprints.
Kick-board
Floatation device used to support the upper body whilst working the legs only. Used on a 'kick' set, the board will usually be used with fins.
Pull-buoy
A small float that has been specially designed to fit comfortably between the legs, making the swimmer use their arms only. They come in many shapes and colors.
Paddles
Worn on the hands (usually whilst using a pull-buoy) these increase the surface area of the hands adding more resistance when pulling, helping to build up shoulder strength and power.
Fins
Most fins are made of natural rubber. Some are made of high-density, heat-treated polyurethane and will last forever. You can choose between short training fins or longer-size fins.