In 2014, Andrew Wilson, a college swimmer and math enthusiast, sat in Ken Ono’s number theory class at Emory University. Little did he know, this decision would change how most swimmers see the sport. Ono was a mathematician known for his work on abstract patterns in numbers and while getting to know Wilson, he became interested in exploring how math could improve swimming performance. What started as a classroom connection turned into a revolutionary approach to training Olympic swimmers.
Ken Ono wasn’t a traditional swimming coach; his expertise was in the world of mathematics, where he solved complex problems and uncovered hidden patterns. But he saw potential in applying the principles of math and physics to swimming. “We wanted to carefully understand the implications of Newton’s laws applied to swimmers in the pool,” Ono explained. Using basic tools like shark-tracking accelerometers and even Saran Wrap to secure them, Ono began collecting data on swimmers’ movements.
Ono’s approach to swimming begins with understanding the forces acting on an athlete in the water. Using Newton’s laws of motion, he analyzed acceleration, drag, and deceleration to pinpoint areas of inefficiency. For example, a swimmer might unknowingly slow down during a turn or lose momentum in their underwater glide. With high-tech sensors and video analysis, Ono could measure the exact forces generated by a swimmer’s kicks, strokes, and body movements so those errors could be detected and improved. One key insight involved tracking how much of a swimmer’s stroke force actually propelled them forward. Recently, this data was used to aid Team USA in the official Paris 2024 Olympic games. Swimmer Paige Madden initially only used 59% of her stroke’s energy to move forward in the first lap of a race, and this slowly dropped to 42% by the eighth lap. After analyzing the data, Ono provided specific advice to improve her technique. Within weeks, Madden set a personal record, proving the power of math in performance enhancement.
One of Ono’s most exciting innovations is the creation of “digital twins.” These are mathematical models that simulate an athlete’s movements during a race. By collecting data from thousands of swims, Ono can predict how a swimmer might perform under various conditions and recommend precise strategies for improvement. For example, he can tell a swimmer exactly how many kicks to take off a dive, when to breathe, and even how to position their hands during turns. This kind of tailored feedback gives athletes an edge over their competitors. “If I swim that formula, I win the race,” one swimmer said, reflecting the trust they have in the math guiding their performance. Swimmers like Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh have broken records and claimed gold medals, thanks in part to Ono’s techniques. At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, nine UVA swimmers, all trained under Ono’s program, represented the USA.
Ken Ono emphasizes that his work isn’t about inventing new mathematics or creating complex theories, but rather about applying existing principles to solve real-world problems. “The attention to detail that comes from thinking analytically has merit,” he explained. By making precise adjustments, Ono has helped athletes shave off critical milliseconds — often the deciding factor between winning and losing at the Olympic level. In a sport where races can hinge on hundredths of a second, his innovative fusion of math and swimming is transforming the game and inspiring others to recognize the power of numbers in unexpected ways.
