Freestyler

/ˈfriːˌstaɪlə/ noun

Definition

A swimmer who specializes in or competes in freestyle swimming, which is typically the fastest swimming stroke and allows the swimmer to choose any technique.

Etymology

From 'freestyle' (any unrestricted style or approach) + agent suffix '-er' (one who does something). 'Freestyle' itself comes from the mid-19th century when swimming competitions first allowed swimmers to choose their own stroke rather than using a prescribed style.

Kelly Says

Modern freestylers actually almost always use the front crawl stroke because it's biomechanically the fastest, but the 'freestyle' name persists from the 1800s when swimmers could choose between breaststroke, sidestroke, or any other method they preferred.

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