Tip: When coming into a finish or an open turn keep your body extended, outstretched, with your body in line. Try to time the finish/turn so that you arrive at the wall just as you reach forward toward the end of a stroke. If you have room for one more full stroke...take it. If you are not sure that you have room for another stroke...reach and, if it is stroke appropriate, kick with all of your might.
Despite Michael Phelps' near miss success in the 100m fly at the last Olympics, it is still best to be completely stretched at the finish of a race. In the finals of the Olympic 100m fly Phelps took an incomplete stroke to beat his opponent, Milorad Cavic, who appeared stretched out. In the photos to the Phelps is on the left and Cavic is on the right.
Upon closer review you can see that Cavic had his head lifted going into his finish and he was, relatively speaking, casually gliding into the wall. I have no doubt that if Cavic had stretched his finish, with his head down, while continuing to kick, he would have beat Phelps'.
Phelps capitalized on Cavic's mistake by taking the partial stroke. Phelps got away with a huge mistake!
Don't rely on the mistakes of your competition. When in doubt...stretch it out!
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