backstroke

Everyday

1. Backstroke is a way of swimming on your back, moving your arms backwards one after the other over your head and kicking your legs. tree →
2. A backstroke is one movement of the arm in this style. tree →

In the lessons

In PE and swimming lessons backstroke is one of the four main strokes (with front crawl, breaststroke and butterfly). It is the only race that starts in the water. Swimmers see flags above the pool before the wall so they know when to turn. Phrases: do backstroke, swim backstroke, 100 metres backstroke.

Examples

• I swam two lengths of backstroke today. tree →
• In backstroke you float on your back and look at the ceiling. tree →
• Backstroke races start in the water, not from the blocks. tree →
• The flags warn backstroke swimmers that the wall is near. tree →
• She won the gold medal in the 200 metres backstroke. tree →
• Keep your tummy up when you do backstroke. tree →
• Each backstroke pulled him further down the pool. tree →

Note

Usually uncountable (do backstroke). One word. In swimming problems: a length is one way along the pool; a 25 m pool needs 4 lengths for 100 m.