Problem Statement: Although three-dimensional evaluations of swimming have described aspects of a set of performance variables, studies that distinguish higher than lower swimmers` performance from a three-dimensional perspective are still necessary. Approach: analyses that provide an overview regarding variables that differentiate swimmer`s proficiency are required. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the spatio-temporal characteristics of the arm stroke between higher and lower proficiency swimmers. Methods: Twenty-one swimmers (18.5 ± 3.78 years) allocated to a high and lower performance groups (G1 and G2, respectively) performed a 50m maximum front-crawl swimming, recorded by 4 underwater cameras. A cycle stroke was digitizing in specific kinematic analysis software, SIMI Reality Motion Systems. Swimming velocity, stroke rate (SR), stroke length (SL), intracycle velocity variation (IVV), stroke dimensions, hand velocity and coordination index were analyzed. Independent Student`s test or Mann Whitney test (to non-parametric variables) was used to compare high and lower performance groups with p<0.05. Results: The results showed that high performance group was 11% faster than lower proficiency one, presented stroke length 11% larger, 26% stroke wider, 13% deeper and faster hand in the submerged and upsweep phase (11% and 14%, respectively). For the other hand, stroke rate, intracycle velocity variation and coordination index were not able to differentiate performance groups. Conclusion: Higher proficiency swimmers were distinguished by a set of variables (i.e. higher velocity, stroke length, width and depth of the stroke, with higher velocity in the upsweep and in the underwater hand displacement), which coaches need to focus on.
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