Dodge trouble at a stroke

You can clash with anyone doing any stroke - backstroke is no exception. In fact, breaststroke is far more dangerous as it is the most spread out.

You won't believe the amount of times I have been kicked by a member of the public swimming breaststroke next to me in training.

I have never had any serious bangs - it is all about lane etiquette. I have whacked my hands a few times on the end of the pool but that was my own fault for not counting my strokes properly.

Banning backstroke sends out completely the wrong message to youngsters. It will deter people from swimming - and at the end of the day we should be encouraging it for general fitness.

From a safety point of view, perhaps the pool has been doing something wrong. They should set a lane up specifically for backstrokers.