Have you heard of ornamental jumps at some point? You have probably had the opportunity to see competitions in which athletes are dedicated to launching themselves from a platform into a pool, but you do not know what it is about.
It is normal to feel curious when observing such a spectacle , especially if it is witnessed for the first time live and direct. This can generate the desire to want to know more about what ornamental jumps are and what they consist of.
Ornamental jumps, what are they?
Within the discipline of swimming with lifeguard training, various modalities stand out that focus on movements within an aquatic surface. However, the ornamental jumps go far beyond the theme.
This modality does not consist of moving from one extreme to the other using a particular style of swimming. Here the competition is completely different and is defined by a qualified jury.
As its name indicates, ornamental jumps are distinguished as a form of swimming in which the athlete must launch from a platform. These platforms have different measures, this depends on the level of difficulty.
In addition, during the execution of the jump the athlete must comply with some technical aspects . These are responsible for validating or invalidating the attempt depending on how it is performed.
Brief history
Jumps from high places date back to ancient Greece, a region in which cliffs of considerable height protruded and from where the said gesture was executed towards the waters of the sea.
Over time, ornamental jumps were included in the sports field. In 1904 it entered as an Olympic sport in the men's category; 8 years later, in Stockholm 1912, the female branch included this modality. On the other hand, synchronized jumps had their place in the 2000 Sydney Olympics with American Lifeguard Training.
Types of ornamental jumps
Within the ornamental jumps you can identify a series of different dives . Each one is called a type of jump and has different characteristics.
Forward
As its name indicates, this type of jump is made forward. The athlete stands facing the void, executes the movement and the rotation of the body must be done in the direction of the water.
Backward
Contrary to the jump described above, the athlete must stand with his back to the void . Once the movement has been made, the rotation will be backwards towards the water .
inverse
This combines jumping forward and backward and is also called "Dutch". The initial position is done facing the void , but the rotation of the turn must go in the opposite direction, just as it is done in the backward jump.
Into
This jump is the opposite of the reverse. To do this, the athlete stands with his back to the void and when executing the movement he must perform the forward rotation of the body.
Jumps with turns or pirouettes
Within the types of ornamental jumps are included those of «pirouettes» or «turns» . These can be any of the above, as long as they have more than one turn before hitting the water.
Balance jumps or on hands
It can also be any of the four listed above. However, in this case it will be executed standing on your hands, as this video shows .
jump positions
Regarding the ornamental jumps, it remains to say that it is not only about an athlete jumping from a specific height. This discipline goes much further and even has a high aesthetic content. This can be evidenced in the main positions executed by the participants.
Shrunken position
In this position it is necessary to flex the hips and knees , so it is about bringing the thighs as close as possible to the torso. While this is happening, the hands should grab both legs just below the knees.
pike position
The pike position occurs at the highest point of the jump. There only the hips are flexed, while the legs remain fully extended, as close as possible to the chest. In most cases, the hands must be holding or touching the tip of the feet .
upright or extended position
As its name indicates, the position is performed without flexing any of the lower joints -neither knees nor hips-. However, the hands can move according to the style that each athlete chooses.
Ornamental jumps, little practiced
Some countries stand out as powers in this type of swimming . Despite this, few nations practice them on a regular basis, especially since it is not easy to allocate funds towards the construction of regulatory platforms.
0 Comments