Obviously, there were some Animalians who were more suited to swimming than others, namely those who were converted into or were originally aquatic species. So there were different swimming events for different groups of species to keep things fair. The race would be more of a challenge if the bears didn't have to compete against otters for example.
The snakes had their own separate swimming race. Quite obviously, they had a different body type from any other Animalian. In fact, most people weren't sure how they could swim without legs. The converted were certainly a bit confused about them. In contrast, the uplifted weren't quite sure how to use their arms for swimming. But an instructional video was posted online specifically for this kind of situation. In it, Kirana demonstrated the best way for snake Animalians to swim, curving their long tails wider than usual to build up momentum in the water. Using their arms wasn't strictly necessary, but they could help propel them through the water. A simple breaststroke would work if the arms are synchronized with the slithering.
The female division of the snakes' swimming event was definitely not one to pass up. There were quite a few competitors here, including the conjoined anaconda twins Iphis and Ianthe. Since anacondas were natural swimmers, one might think that they would have an advantage here. But then, their upper body had a lot of bulk that could slow them down and there were smaller average anacondas also competing. But the important part wasn't who'd be winning. They were just here to have a good, fun race.
As with the other swimming events, this one involved the swimmers swimming across the pool from one end to the other without crossing into the other swimmers' lines. When the signal began, they start swimming as fast as they could. They were quite a bit faster in the water than some were expecting with their lack of legs. But it was when they got to the end that it got interesting. For other swimmers, they would briefly pause, bend their legs, and kick off from the wall to start swimming back. Obviously, that couldn't happen with the snakes. But their arms did come in handy for holding their bodies still while the rest of their tails caught up, coiled beneath them, and they could use them as a spring to launch back towards the other side.
Iphis and Ianthe were actually moving rather well. Though by the time of the second lap, it was clear that they weren't going to finish first. Firstly, their bulky size proved as much a hindrance as their muscles helped. Secondly, their mismatched arms made their swimming a little uneven. And thirdly, their rather large breasts made them less hydrodynamic. Admittedly, all the serpents here were dealing drag-causing boobs, but the twins' breasts were still pretty large even for an Animalian. But still, they weren't going to come in last. Their powerful tail was able to keep them from falling behind.
In the end, Iphis and Ianthe ended up placing third. A more average anaconda ended up in first while a water moccasin took second. But still, it was quite an accomplishment for the twins. Most would have thought the two-headed giant wouldn't be able to move very fast, but moving on land and in water are two separate things. They weren't very upset either since they had already gotten a gold medal in the javelin throw. It made them all the more eager to earn a silver in the bodybuilding competition.