What is the technique used in backstoke flip turns in the Olympics?

Question

I remember swimming competitively in high school and when backstroking, if you flipped over on your stomach at all, you were disqualified. Watching the Olympic backstroke races, they seem to flip over on their stomachs, then do a regular flip turn. What is the rules for that?

Answer 1

umm. youre supposed to stay on your back when youre about to finish and touch the wall. but if youre like doing 2 laps, then it is okayy to do a flipturn. but when you flip, you cant do an extra stroke or else youll get disqualified. so you just have to count how many strokes it take you to get to the wall.

Answer 2

I'm not sure when the rule changed (sometime around 1990?), but you no longer have to touch the wall with your hand on backstroke-to-backstroke turns. You can cross the 90 degree point (be more on your stomach than on your back) if it is during one continuous motion of the turn. [I think the "one continuous motion" aspect is thoroughly abused by amatuers and Olympians alike.] You still need to do a hand touch on back-to-breast turns.

Here's an article snippet that clarifies the rule (a little):

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa...

Answer 3

that is actually allowed. i believe the rule is that you can't do a stroke on your stomach

Answer 4

That changed in the late 80s or early 90s.  With the final stroke, you're allowed to turn over and flip from your stomach.

The way that's accomplished is for that last stroke to reach across to the other side of your body (If my stroke is with my left hand, then I'm going to reach for where my right hand was), that naturally turns the shoulders and then you tuck and roll the hips right into the flip turn.  

It can only be that crossover stroke that puts you on the stomach.  Anything more is illegal.