Does being tall give you an advantage?

Streamline benefits should be present throughout a swim - not just off of walls. Better body position, less drag from the water itself, etc. should be possible with a slender, taller body since the primary water resistance occurs in front of the body - which is about the same size for tall or less tall people. I can't prove it - but I think taller people have larger hands and feet - which is goodness in swimming. Dan, "should" and "in general" are not absolutes. I just don't want to see height = good/better swimmer being purported as an absolute. I'm sure even at my average height, I've beaten larger opponents and shorter opponents alike. A) It insults anyone who isn't of a certain height as being inferior (worrying). B) It insults those taller swimmers who have trained just as hard as anyone else to get where they are, and hollows their victories over shorter opponents. What next USMS age and height groups? Asterisks if you're under 5'10" or over 6'1"? I would agree that height/slenderness may help more in free and back (or starts and turns as noted) but be of less significance in the cross axis strokes that us "power dwarves" do better in. Sadly though, to put one phsyical attribute up as a paramount attribute is bunk, and flatly insulting to many hardworking athletes. Many things go into a race and I don't see the NBA rosters emptying out to take up spots in the olympic swimming team if height is the big advantage. To me it's along the lines of like white men can't jump and black people can't swim. Utter twaddle. It seems a lot of narrowminded crap is being dredged up from the past of late...

Streamline benefits should be present throughout a swim - not just off of walls. Better body position, less drag from the water itself, etc. should be possible with a slender, taller body since the primary water resistance occurs in front of the body - which is about the same size for tall or less tall people. I can't prove it - but I think taller people have larger hands and feet - which is goodness in swimming. Dan, "should" and "in general" are not absolutes. I just don't want to see height = good/better swimmer being purported as an absolute. I'm sure even at my average height, I've beaten larger opponents and shorter opponents alike. A) It insults anyone who isn't of a certain height as being inferior (worrying). B) It insults those taller swimmers who have trained just as hard as anyone else to get where they are, and hollows their victories over shorter opponents. What next USMS age and height groups? Asterisks if you're under 5'10" or over 6'1"? I would agree that height/slenderness may help more in free and back (or starts and turns as noted) but be of less significance in the cross axis strokes that us "power dwarves" do better in. Sadly though, to put one phsyical attribute up as a paramount attribute is bunk, and flatly insulting to many hardworking athletes. Many things go into a race and I don't see the NBA rosters emptying out to take up spots in the olympic swimming team if height is the big advantage. To me it's along the lines of like white men can't jump and black people can't swim. Utter twaddle. It seems a lot of narrowminded crap is being dredged up from the past of late...