💪 🏅Finish Strong: How to Train for a Powerful End to Your Race

Tips for Petrol and Diesel Engine Swimmers Alike!

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Hey Swimmers,

We’ve all watched (or experienced) that heartbreaking moment when a swimmer is overtaken in the last few metres of a long race. It seems unfair—after all, they led for most of the way. But in open water, how you finish matters just as much as how you start.

Let’s unpack how to develop a strong, strategic sprint finish that plays to your strengths—and doesn’t leave you running on empty.

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The Myth of the “Better Sprinter”

Source: dailyrecord.co.uk

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, British swimmer David Davies was the favourite for the 10km marathon swim. A 1500m bronze medallist from Athens, his speed and stroke mechanics were world class. And on a flat, formulaic course, he looked set to dominate.

But as the race neared its conclusion, Dutch 25km world champion Maarten van der Weijden surged past him in the final few hundred metres to take gold. Did Davies “lack a sprint”? Not quite. The truth was more complex—and more tactical.

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Know Your Engine: Petrol vs Diesel

Some swimmers have explosive sprint power (“petrol engines”), others excel at holding a fast pace for longer durations (“diesel engines”). On a physiological level, this comes down to muscle fibre composition:

• Fast-twitch = sprinters

• Slow-twitch = endurance athletes

Most open water events are predominantly aerobic—so having a strong diesel engine is essential. But finishing speed can still tip the result in your favour, especially if you pace and position well.

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Real-World Data: What Rhys Mainstone’s Splits Show Us

Source: swimmingworldmagazine.com

At the 2012 Western Australian Championships, Rhys Mainstone opened with a blistering 1:04/100m pace, settled into 1:09s mid-race, then peaked again at 1:02 in the final 400m—beating Trent Grimsey by just 0.02 seconds after nearly two hours of swimming.

This kind of crescendo finish can’t happen without:

• Excellent pacing

• Energy conservation

• Strategic positioning

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Know Your Type (And Train Accordingly)

We ran CSS tests with 115 swimmers in our Perth squad and saw a clear pattern:

• Swimmers with big drop-offs between their 200m and 400m times were often sprinters (powerful but prone to blowing up).

• Swimmers with steady pacing were natural diesel engines—strong over distance, but at risk of being out-sprinted at the line.

Understanding this helps you decide:

• When to make your move

• How to pace your race

• What to work on in training

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Training Tips for a Strong Finish

Regardless of your engine type, you can train to finish stronger:

1. Know Your CSS and Your Drop-Off

Do the 400m/200m test and evaluate your pacing and fatigue profile. Are you a sprinter or a pacer?

2. Rehearse Different Finish Strategies

• Sprinters: Conserve energy and surge in the final 20–50m

• Endurance swimmers: Build your finish from 250–300m out to break the pack

3. Practice Accelerations

Include finish-speed intervals at the end of longer sets. Try:

• 8x100m @ CSS pace + last 25m fast

• 3x400m negative split (last 100m fastest)

4. Learn to Draft Smartly

Use the draft zone to conserve energy before launching your final move.

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Mindset Makes the Difference

Source: dailymail.co.uk

David Davies admitted after his Olympic silver that he felt “delirious” and “violated” by the field swimming over him at the end. He gave everything—and still got second. But with more open water experience, he might have chosen to draft more and time his sprint better.

Learning to race is about more than fitness. It’s about experience, pacing, positioning, and knowing when to go.

Next week, we’ll shift focus to something just as powerful—life in a Swim Smooth Squad. What makes our squads unique? Why do swimmers keep coming back? And what can you expect if you join?

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🟦 Takeaway: 6 Key Steps to Finish Strong

1. Test your 400/200m pacing to identify your type

2. Practise pacing evenly—then finishing fast

3. Train accelerations at the end of threshold sets

4. Learn to use drafting to conserve energy

5. Plan your move: 20–50m out (sprinters) vs 250–300m (diesel engines)

6. Apply your strategy consistently in training before race day