Swimming / Topic 09
Individual medley and medley relay
World Aquatics · 2026In short
Different stroke orders · The freestyle section
Different stroke orders
Individual medley follows butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Medley relay follows backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Each stroke covers an equal share of the race distance. Finish every section according to the rules of the stroke just completed.
The freestyle section
Freestyle in a medley cannot be backstroke, breaststroke or butterfly. The swimmer must be on the breast except while turning. Leaving the wall on the back is allowed, but the swimmer must rotate past vertical towards the breast before any kick or stroke.
Independent explanations and translations, not official federation publications. Independent explanations of the supplied World Aquatics Competition Regulations, February 2026. This guide covers pool swimming only, not other aquatic disciplines. References use PDF viewer page numbers; topic numbers are editorial.
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