11 General introduction 1 Therefore, the primary focus of the first part of this thesis is to gain a deeper understanding of the performance progression of elite swimmers. Chapter 2 specifically explores the development of season best times for swimmers who achieved 1) top elite, 2) elite, 3) sub-elite and 4) high-competitive status in adulthood. By retrospectively analyzing the developmental patterns dating back to the age of twelve, this study aims to offer insights into when these four performance groups begin to differentiate. Additionally, age-related benchmarks to identify junior swimmers progressing towards the elite level in subsequent studies will be provided. Building upon the results from Chapter 2, Chapter 3 delves into a more detailed examination of performance progression within a single season. This study investigates whether talented swimmers who ultimately made it to the elite level are characterized with different patterns of interim performance progression (IPP) during two consecutive season best performances compared those who did not. The results of this chapter shed light on both the rates and timing of progression within a season. The second part of this thesis centers on the contributing factors underlying swim performance, essentially examining the process leading up to the result. Within this context, Chapter 4 investigates the development of pacing behavior in talented swimmers, specifically disentangling the effects of age and experience and differentiating between those who reached the elite level and those who did not. Whether swimmers who are on track to reach the elite level apply self-regulation of learning (SRL) subprocesses more frequently in their daily training sessions compared with swimmers who are not on this track will be explored in Chapter 5. In Chapter 6, talented swimmers in the late-junior-toearly-senior transition (males aged 16-19; females aged 15-18) will be analyzed. This chapter explores whether swimmers who are on track to the elite level at early senior age (males aged 19; females aged 18) show higher levels and progression of swim performance and underlying performance characteristics including, anthropometrics, starts, turns, maximal swimming velocity, stroke index and lower body power, compared to lower-performing peers during this transition. Chapter 7 delves further back in time, investigating swimmers during their pubertal years (males aged 13-15; females aged 12-14). This study examines whether swimmers on track to the elite level at late junior age (males aged 16; females aged 15) demonstrate higher levels and progression on swim performance and underlying characteristics including, anthropometrics, maximal swimming velocity, stroke index and lower body power. In Chapter 8, the overall findings of this thesis are discussed, providing future directions and recommendations for swimming practice.
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