INTRODUCTION: A thorough understanding of performance development and its underlying performance characteristics during an swimmers` career could facilitate the identification and development of talented swimmers. However, longitudinal studies on multidimensional performance characteristics in talented youth swimmers are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study is examine the development of anthropometric, physiological, technical and psychological characteristics in relation to performance level of talented youth swimmers over a 3-year period. METHODS: We collected data on multidimensional performance characteristics and 100m freestyle swim performance of 207 talented youth swimmers (102 males, 14.9 ± 1.3 years; 105 females, 14.2 ± 1.3 years) over 3 competitive seasons between 2017 and 2020. Based on their season best performances, swimmers were assigned to the high performance level or lower performance level group. Multilevel models were created in which repeated measures (level 1) were nested within individual swimmers (level 2). The effect of the fixed variables age and current performance level on anthropometrics (body height and weight), physiological (sprint velocity and counter movement jump height), technical (stroke frequency, stroke length and stroke index) and psychological (self-regulation of learning) characteristics was tested for significance (p<0.05) for males and females separately. RESULTS: Older male and female swimmers scored higher on anthropometric, physiological, technical and psychological characteristics. High-performing male and female swimmers scored higher on physiological (sprint velocity and CMJ) and psychological (reflection) characteristics compared to lower-performing swimmers. High-performing males were taller and heavier than their peers whereas high-performing females outperformed their peers on technical characteristics (stroke index). CONCLUSION: The present study emphasizes the importance of a multidimensional and longitudinal approach in talent identification and development, reporting that high-performing youth swimmers scored higher on multiple underlying performance characteristics over a 3-year period compared to their peers. Therefore, in the guidance of young talented swimmers to the top as well as in the detection of talented swimmers, more attention has to be paid to the development of anthropometrical, physiological, technical and psychological characteristics.
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