Which statement best describes the breaststroke characteristics?

• A. Oldest, slowest, most inefficient stroke with high frontal resistance.
• B. The front crawl is fastest.
• C. It uses a flutter kick.
• D. It has the least frontal resistance.

Answer: (A)

Breaststroke tends to be the oldest stroke and, compared with front crawl, it is slower and carries higher drag. This is because propulsion comes from a simultaneous arm pull and a frog kick, which don’t create the same continuous, streamlined thrust as the alternating arm/leg actions in faster strokes. The body position and the broad cross-section during the kick and arm sweep elevate frontal resistance, making it harder to slice through the water. So describing it as oldest, slower, and with higher frontal resistance fits the typical profile of breaststroke. The other statements don’t describe breaststroke: the fastest stroke is front crawl, it uses a flutter kick, and it does not have the least frontal resistance.