sportbible homepage
sportbible homepage
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Manchester United
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • Real Madrid
    • Barcelona
  • Formula 1
    • Red Bull
    • Ferrari
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes
    • Max Verstappen
    • Lewis Hamilton
    • Lando Norris
    • George Russell
    • Charles Leclerc
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • More Sport
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • Darts
    • Athletics
    • Rugby
    • Wrestling
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
Threads
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • LADbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
The real reason why Olympic swimmers wear two caps in the pool

Home> Other

Published 14:10 30 Jul 2024 GMT+1

The real reason why Olympic swimmers wear two caps in the pool

There is a clever reason why swimmers wear two caps.

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

The swim cap is an essential piece of kit for Olympic swimmers, but why do they wear two?

The swimming finals are among the most anticipated events at the Olympic Games, and that promises to be no different at the 2024 Paris Games.

Frenchman Leon Marchand produced a stunning performance to win gold in the men's 400m individual medley final, before Team GB's Adam Peaty added a new chapter to his legend by taking silver in the men's 100m breaststroke final.

Peaty missed out on goal by three hundredths of a second, highlighting the margins involved in swimming.

Advert

Such fine margins and the need to cut fractions of a second off their times is why swimmers wear swim caps.

Most competitors at the Paris Games - and indeed previous Olympics - have been wearing two caps to allow them to cut through the water with as little drag as possible.

One reason for wearing one cap on top of another is to keep longer hair out of the swimmer's face.

But the other is that it helps to stabilise the swimmer's goggles by covering up the exposed straps, which in turn reduces drag in the water.

Less drag equals swimming with greater efficiency, which allows competitors to reach a higher speed and clock a faster race time.

Typically, the swimmer's goggles will sit on top of a latex cap, which is covered by a silicone cap.

The friction between the latex and the silicone prevents the latter from slipping off, which stops the latex from wrinkling and tearing.

Dave Salo, an assistant coach for the 2012 US Olympic Women’s Team, explained to Yahoo!: "The outer silicone cap better maintains the shape and does not wrinkle as much, thereby causing less drag."

While caps rarely fall off, Dana Volmer won goal in the 100 butterfly at the 2012 London Games despite one of her caps coming off.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Swimming, Olympics

Alex Brotherton
Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a journalist at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He can often be found watching dreadful non-league football.

X

@alex_brotherton

Recommended reads

Man Utd's 15 transfer targets to fill four key positions as at least six prepare to leaveGetty ImagesDennis Taylor interview: Why snooker legend is playing in brand-new event... and how he saved someone's lifeGettyRanking the top 10 best golfers of all time as Nicklaus v Woods GOAT debate settledGetty ImagesDavid Munyua and Peter Wachiuri interview: 'We wish for major PDC players to come and visit Kenya'Getty / Instagram/@wachiuridarts

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
16 hours ago
20 hours ago
a day ago
  • Getty
    7 hours ago

    Disgraced snooker star makes £172k during Championship final despite not playing

    The snooker star did not participate but still ended up pocketing just short of £200,000 from the tournament.

    Other
  • George Wood/Getty Images
    16 hours ago

    Snooker coach knew Wu Yize could win World Championship after what he told him aged 11

    The 22-year-old claimed his first world title at the Crucible, but one man wasn't surprised.

    Other
  • Getty
    20 hours ago

    Reason why Shaun Murphy is ‘freezing’ after shots during World Championship final

    Murphy is playing China's Wu Yize in the final of the World Snooker Championship.

    Other
  • Getty
    a day ago

    Woman who was restrained by referee during World Snooker Championship final revealed

    She was ejected from the Crucible by security after climbing over the front row barrier mid-frame.

    Other
  • Olympic Medallist Becomes First Brit to Join Controversial Enhanced Games
  • Olympic committee issues death warning as PED-fuelled Enhanced Games is slammed
  • Olympian sent home for breaking Olympic village rules with boyfriend spoke out after having 'dream' destroyed
  • Olympic Gold Medallist Had to Watch As World Record Was 'Wiped From History'