ethiniticity

I understand that Natalie Coughlin's mother is Filipino, and Natalie is 5'7" which is not super tall for a swimmer. I have never been to China, but I've heard that there are some very tall people there. China is a HUGE country, with people of all shapes and sizes, and Asia is an even HUGER continent, with people of many different races. I don't think we can label them all as "short". I have heard a convincing argument about certain races or geographical areas not producing swimmers which is that there are not pools or swimmable waterways available for training where they live. In many countries in the world water is so scarse, it is needed for drinking, and the population does not have the luxury of water to swim in. I believe that all races, if provided with the water and facilities, are capable of swimming competitively.

Kitajima is just over 5 feet 7 inches, if he is measured at 5' 10" he was cheating again:D I think size and ethnicity has nothing to do with it. In Southern Kalifornia there are large districts with asian majorities, and they have GREAT swim teams. Last year I was fortunate to coach a 12 year old asian boy, all he did was 2:19 for his 200 yard breaststroke:p As to genetics, consider Claudia and Sylvia Poll from Costa Rica. Of German extraction, they both are over 6 foot tall. Yet is a distance race a smaller size like Janet Evans may be helpfull. She was barely 5'4 inches when she destroyed the World records of the 400, 800 and 1500 meters. We are fortunate to have a sport like swimming where the size of your heart and will power mean as much as genetics.

Many Asian countries stopped pushing swimming as a major sport after WWII. Now they are on a come back. Still, in Japan, the number one participatory sport for women is long distance running. that very much blows the stereo type most in the USA have of Janpanese women. Also, many swimmers come from swimming families. There has really been a tradition of asian swimmers in the US, has there?