Can a woman beat a man in swimming?

Interesting that this is the thread that John started after the last one, since I think this is the reason that boys swimming (you will see in a moment why I call it 'boys' swimming) is in trouble. Society did (does) not have gender-typed occupations and sports to protect the women. Instead, it was to protect the fragile male ego. Bluntly, boys do not like to be shown up by girls. In fact, they do not even want to participate in something where girls even have the possibility of being equal or better. In fact, boys will actively *not* participate in activities that have girls as equals. There is a long history of this. Look at many formerly boy-dominated occupations, such as nursing, secretarial, or elementary school teaching. Women start to participate, they are good, and the boys leave. Notice that the occupations I listed now have the presumption, by boys, as 'gay.' Not only won't they compete, but it is not 'manly' to compete. The same thing is happening in swimming, which, as Allen says, is an extremely egalitarian sport. Boys and girls participate in the same meets, practice in the same pools, swim the same events, and practice the same sets. Boys know that there are girls out there that are faster than they are, and by some Freudian trickery know that only 'fags' would swim. I saw it back in the seventies as women became more integrated into the sport, I saw it in the hostility toward the women's team in my college, and I see it in my son's high school. Skimpy swim suits just provide an excuse. I'm happy to swim with men that don't mind if a woman leads the lane -- I think masters swimmers are more mature than most athletes. I remember a comment from a sports psychologist -- swimming takes its women swimmers more seriously as athletes than other sports, such as basketball, cycling, or track. However, you want controversial? Don't try to change male nature. Instead, separate the workouts, separate the meets, create different strokes and different events, and *then* you might save boys swimming.

Interesting that this is the thread that John started after the last one, since I think this is the reason that boys swimming (you will see in a moment why I call it 'boys' swimming) is in trouble. Society did (does) not have gender-typed occupations and sports to protect the women. Instead, it was to protect the fragile male ego. Bluntly, boys do not like to be shown up by girls. In fact, they do not even want to participate in something where girls even have the possibility of being equal or better. In fact, boys will actively *not* participate in activities that have girls as equals. There is a long history of this. Look at many formerly boy-dominated occupations, such as nursing, secretarial, or elementary school teaching. Women start to participate, they are good, and the boys leave. Notice that the occupations I listed now have the presumption, by boys, as 'gay.' Not only won't they compete, but it is not 'manly' to compete. The same thing is happening in swimming, which, as Allen says, is an extremely egalitarian sport. Boys and girls participate in the same meets, practice in the same pools, swim the same events, and practice the same sets. Boys know that there are girls out there that are faster than they are, and by some Freudian trickery know that only 'fags' would swim. I saw it back in the seventies as women became more integrated into the sport, I saw it in the hostility toward the women's team in my college, and I see it in my son's high school. Skimpy swim suits just provide an excuse. I'm happy to swim with men that don't mind if a woman leads the lane -- I think masters swimmers are more mature than most athletes. I remember a comment from a sports psychologist -- swimming takes its women swimmers more seriously as athletes than other sports, such as basketball, cycling, or track. However, you want controversial? Don't try to change male nature. Instead, separate the workouts, separate the meets, create different strokes and different events, and *then* you might save boys swimming.