Why no black swimmers?

super_furry

Just watching some of the European Championships and one of the things that strikes me is that everyone is white. Got me thinking and I couldn't remember ever seeing a black swimmer at the Olympics or competing at a high level internationally. Is this a culutral/social thing where, much like golf until recently, the sport itself wouldn't be something that black people would take up or is there another reason?

Just strikes me as strange that black people often dominate so many track and field events but are conspicuous by their absence in the pool.

passive

super_furry wrote: »

Just watching some of the European Championships and one of the things that strikes me is that everyone is white. Got me thinking and I couldn't remember ever seeing a black swimmer at the Olympics or competing at a high level internationally. Is this a culutral/social thing where, much like golf until recently, the sport itself wouldn't be something that black people would take up or is there another reason?

Just strikes me as strange that black people often dominate so many track and field events but are conspicuous by their absence in the pool.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055330222

(not being a smartarse, your post made me curious so I googled it and found this)

TheMilkyPirate

this is why:

http://brainize.pay-fair.com/_Worlds-Worst-Olympic-Swimming-Trial-/video/321894/52304.html

sock puppet

By just looking at top level competition you don't really get the whole picture. It's not that there are loads of black swimmers out there who just don't measure up to their white counterparts. At any competition I was at it would have been rare to see a black person competing at any level. I'd hazard a guess that other immigrant groups are much more likely to get involved in the sport. All I have is anecdotal evidence of course.

trad

I saw a documentary on this years ago. It's to do with bone structure and physique. Same reason there are no top ranking black cyclists. Yet black athletes dominate distance running.

In the documentary they put Daley Thompson (Olympic Gold medal decathlon 1980 and 1984) into a swimming pool and once he stopped swimming he sank.

Mr Marri

trad wrote: »

I saw a documentary on this years ago. It's to do with bone structure and physique.

Yes I remember reading something about this, I think there is a specific issue around ankle/foot structure/flexiblity.

But when I read this stuff, I always think of woman being removed (physically) from marathon in the 1970, because it was believed that running distance could be fatal to the weaker sex .

So a pinch of salt all round.

WeeBushy

baraca wrote: »

this is why:

http://brainize.pay-fair.com/_Worlds-Worst-Olympic-Swimming-Trial-/video/321894/52304.html

I remember watching that a few years ago, a little bit embarrassing. But watching it again, for someone who has never swum that far ever in their life, 40s for the first 50 ain't that bad

Arthurdaly

No black persons swim. its not exclusive. Black people aspire to play football, why? Lots of money there!

Swimming or cycling, you are not likely to see a black man/women feature unless money increases significantly!

sleapy235

Trust me the top pro cyclists make a lotta money, I can't imagine that Lance Armstrong's bank account will be running low any time soon. Nor Michael Phelps' for that matter. That's a poor argument.

The reasons why certain races excel at different sports is a mixture of sociological and physiological factors, and there are always exceptions e.g. Anthony Nesty, Cullen Jones top class black swimmers, Christophe Lemaitre, Pietro Mennea top white sprinters. People shouldn't be told they can't do something because of the colour of their skin.