Analysis of the physical components affecting 50-meter freestyle swimming performance among undergraduate students of the elementary school physical education study program

Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia

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Abstract

This research is a quantitative descriptive study with a correlational design that aims to analyze the relationship of physical components to the 50-meter freestyle swimming ability of students in the Elementary School Physical Education Study Program, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Makassar. The population of the research consists of all students who take the swimming course, with a sample of 30 people selected purposively. The research instruments include the push-up test (arm muscle strength), the beep test (cardiovascular endurance/VO₂ Max), and the vertical jump test (leg explosive power). Swimming ability was measured using a manual stopwatch and an electronic system. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 25 with a significance level of α = 0.05. The results of the research show a significant positive correlation between arm muscle strength (r = 0.36; p = 0.041), cardiovascular endurance (r = 0.61; p = 0.001), and leg explosive power (r = 0.54; p = 0.002) with 50-meter freestyle swimming ability. Regression analysis shows that the three physical components together contribute 56.9% to swimming performance. These findings confirm the importance of strength, endurance, and explosive power in achieving optimal performance and provide a scientific basis for designing effective training programs.