The swimming world has spent the past few weeks arguing about one thing:
The Enhanced Games.
Some people are fascinated.
Some people are horrified.
Some people are pretending they suddenly have a PhD in exercise physiology after watching two YouTube clips and a podcast.
But underneath all the noise, controversy, and clickbait headlines…
Something surprisingly important about swimming became very obvious.
And honestly?
It’s probably not what people expected.
Before we continue, let’s make something clear:
We do not support or condone the Enhanced Games or the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport.
That is not what this article is about.
What is interesting, however, is what these conversations continue to reveal about swimming itself.
Because despite all the hype around:
…the water still exposed the same truth it always has:
Not just strength.
Not just conditioning.
Not just output.
Technique.
And that surprises people.
A lot of people assume swimming speed is mostly: “Who’s the strongest?”
But swimming has never worked that way.
Water is too unforgiving.
You can be:
…and still lose badly to someone with:
That’s what makes swimming unique.
On land, athletes can sometimes overpower mistakes.
In water?
Not really.
If your:
you lose speed instantly.
Water amplifies mistakes.
That’s why elite swimming is so technical.
And it’s also why conversations around “enhancement” in swimming become fascinating from a coaching perspective.
Because even with increased physical output…
Technique still determines how effectively that output transfers into movement.
The sprint freestyle events especially highlight this reality.
People look at sprint swimming and think: “They’re just muscling through the water.”
Actually…
Elite sprinters are usually some of the most technically precise swimmers in the world.
At maximum speed:
Tiny technical flaws become expensive.
That’s why great sprinters obsess over:
Nothing is random.
One thing experienced coaches notice immediately when watching great sprint swimmers is:
The water often looks strangely calm around them.
That sounds ridiculous considering how fast they’re moving.
But it’s true.
Less chaos often means:
Beginners create chaos.
Elite swimmers create movement.
Huge difference.
At Swim With Milo, we constantly talk about: distance per stroke.
Because moving your arms faster means nothing if you’re not holding water.
That’s like:
Motion alone is meaningless.
The best swimmers:
That principle does not disappear just because someone becomes more powerful.
In fact, power without efficiency often creates more problems.
This is something people rarely talk about.
If your technique is weak and you suddenly increase output…
Your flaws become even more obvious.
Why?
Because:
Swimming is not just about producing force.
It’s about directing force correctly.
That’s a massive distinction.
Older swimmers remember the super suit era.
Records exploded.
People lost their minds.
But here’s what many forget:
The swimmers still needed world-class mechanics.
The suits amplified efficiency.
They didn’t magically create it.
If:
you still weren’t swimming fast.
Swimming has always rewarded efficiency first.
Young swimmers often think: “I just need to get stronger.”
Not exactly.
Strength helps.
But if you develop:
you eventually hit a ceiling.
That’s why some swimmers plateau despite training harder and harder.
They:
…but never improve movement quality.
Triathletes especially fall into this trap.
Many think: “If I just get fitter, I’ll swim faster.”
But swimming is different from biking and running.
Water requires:
before power truly matters.
That’s why so many incredibly fit athletes still struggle to swim smoothly.
Fitness matters.
Technique matters more than they realize.
Technique ages beautifully.
That’s one of the best things about swimming.
Even if:
you can still improve dramatically by improving:
That’s exciting.
Because swimming rewards intelligence and skill—not just raw physical output.
Ironically, all the conversation surrounding the Enhanced Games ended up reinforcing something coaches have known forever:
Swimming is still deeply technical.
The water still rewards:
And honestly?
That’s kind of beautiful.
Because no matter how much technology evolves… No matter how much sports science changes…
The fundamentals still matter.
At the end of the day, the swimmers who move through the water best usually win.
Not the swimmers creating the most splash.
Not the swimmers muscling the hardest.
The best swimmers combine:
That’s always been true.
And all the recent conversations around the Enhanced Games unexpectedly reminded the swimming world of something important:
You still cannot cheat bad technique.
And in swimming…
Great technique still wins.
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