• Freestyle: the competitor may swim any stroke. The stroke most commonly used is sometimes called the crawl, which is characterized by the alternate stroking of the arms over the water surface and an alternating flutter kick. On turns and finishes, some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. Most swimmers do a flip turn.

• Backstroke: consists of an alternating motion of the arms with a flutter kick while on the back. On turns, swimmers may rotate to the stomach and perform a flip turn and some part of the swimmer must touch the wall. The swimmer must finish on the back.

• Breaststroke: requires simultaneous movements of the arms on the same horizontal plane. The hands are pressed out from in front of the breast in a heart shaped pattern and recovered under or on the surface of the water. The kick is a simultaneous somewhat circular motion similar to the action of a frog. On turns and at the finish, the swimmer must touch the wall with both hands simultaneously at, above or below the water surface.

• Butterfly: features a simultaneous recovery of the arms over the water combined with an undulating dolphin kick. In the kick, the swimmer must keep both legs together and may not flutter, scissors or use the breaststroke kick. Both hands must touch the wall simultaneously on the turns and the finish.

• Individual Medley (IM): features all four strokes. The swimmer begins with the butterfly, then changes after one‑fourth of the race to backstroke, then breaststroke and finally freestyle.

• Medley Relay: all four strokes are swum. The first swimmer swims backstroke, the second breaststroke, the third butterfly, and the final swimmer anchors the relay with freestyle.

• Freestyle Relay: consist of four freestylers, each swimming one quarter of the total distance of the event.

There are separate events for boys and girls. Events for the younger swimmers (through age 8) cover 25M. Nine and ten year olds also swim 25M, except freestyle which is 50M. Older swimmers compete in 100M events.

Complete order of events