# Swimming different legs of a medley relay (swimming)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [May 22, 2013, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991 "2013-05-22T06:05:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991/1 "2013-05-22T06:05:38Z")

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If a swimmer swims the breast leg in the prelims, are they allowed to switch to the back for the final?

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991/2 "2013-05-22T07:47:13Z")

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No. The rules require a relay team to consist of 4 swimmers who each swim one fourth of the race.

I know this from my competitive swimming days. We had one great swimmer and the same thought.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991/3 "2013-05-22T07:58:27Z")

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Here is the FINA rule:  
**SW 10.10** There shall be four swimmers on each relay team.

[FINA](http://www.fina.org/project/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=119)

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2013, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-different-legs-of-a-medley-relay-swimming/658991/4 "2013-05-22T08:10:34Z")

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And now I see that I misread your question. Yes. You can shuffle your team around however you like.

SW 10.13 The members of a relay team and their order of competing must be nominated before the race. Any relay team member may compete in a race only once. The composition of a relay team may be changed between the heats and finals of an event, provided that it is made up from the list of swimmers properly entered by a Member for that event. Failure to swim in the order listed will result in disqualification. Substitutions may be made only in the case of a documented medical emergency.