130 Chapter 6 anything other than substantial differences between groups. This limitation increases the likelihood of interpreting minor changes in variables as having no effect, emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation of the study's findings. However, it is essential to recognize that even subtle changes can hold practical significance, particularly in the context of elite sports (Gabbett et al., 2017). Therefore, to ensure a comprehensive interpretation of our results, we placed particular emphasis on effect sizes. Effect sizes provide a measure of the magnitude of the observed effects (Nuzzo, 2014), allowing us to evaluate the practical significance of even the smallest changes. Additionally, we implemented a data pooling strategy to increase our sample size by combining the data from all our swimmers. However, due to this approach, we were unable to include stroke-specific analyses and stroke-specific variables, such as stroke rate, in the present study. Furthermore, it is worth emphasizing that not all swimmers in our study sustained their involvement in TD programs throughout the junior-to-senior transition. Therefore, we cannot rule out a survivorship bias given that our measurements of underlying performance characteristics were exclusively conducted among swimmers who remained in these programs. Consequently, the outcomes of our study specifically pertain to swimmers who remained in the system, reflecting the coach’s belief that a swimmer has the potential to make it to the senior elite level. It is recommended that future studies attempt to account for all swimmers initially involved in these kinds of measurements; however, this is challenging as swimmers who are deselected from talent development programs may not continue their efforts in the same way or may choose to pursue alternative career paths and retire (known as self-selection; Biele et al., 2019). Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred during the study period and may have introduced potential confounding factors, such as periods of detraining, which could have influenced our findings (Zacca et al., 2019; Ruiz-Navarro et al., 2022). These factors must be considered when interpreting the findings of our study and in applying them to broader contexts of talent development in swimming (ElferinkGemser & Visscher 2012). Perspective The present study advances our understanding of progression towards elite level swimming performance in sprint and middle-distance events. Specifically, it underscores the significance of high initial levels of swim performance and underlying characteristics at late junior age (within 10% of international elite reference values, except for SI in males) as well as the ability to keep progressing on season best performances, maximal swimming velocity and turns (males) and SI (females) during the junior-to-senior transition. These may be crucial factors in the attainment of swimming expertise. Coaches and swimmers could focus on developing these underlying characteristics while being mindful of the differences in developmental profiles between males and females and tailor their training programs accordingly. Moreover, the study’s insights into the scores and developmental patterns of
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw