Medley
Also known as Individual Medley or IM, it is the combination of four different styles, equally distributed to complete a distance. Perform the styles in the following sequence: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.
Officials on deck ensure safety, organization, timekeeping, and fair competition. During the race, they observe you swimming to the best of your ability and ensure the rules of the competition. They implement the rules with a heavy heart, knowing it's a part of the swimmer's learning process. By learning the rules during practice and reviewing them here, you reduce the likelihood of disqualification.
We compiled a list of what you can do in a Medley event to have a valid race. This list is not exhaustive! Keep following your coach's instructions to swim properly while being competitive.
1
Make sure to swim the styles in the following sequence: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Freestyle.
2
After the start and after a turn, you do a long stretch submerged. Except for Breaststroke, you must surface the water before or at the 15m mark and start the strokes.
3
The rules of each style apply to Medley as well. The only exception is Freestyle, where you can not repeat one of the styles you have already swum. Given its efficiency, your best choice is to swim Crawl.
4
When transitioning from one style to another, follow the rules of the previous style until you touch the wall, and change to the rules of the following style when you leave the wall.
5
Do not pull on the lane ropes or push off the pool's bottom during the swim.
6
When finished, don't leave your lane until all swimmers have finished. Leave the pool when instructed to do it.
Source: Swimming Canada Rules
