Why are there more men than woman in masters swimming? Everyone says that women's events always end before the men's events (and thus we have to keep that odd/even rule for pools at nationals). Is this still true? The last meet I attended there were 62 heats of women and 65 of men.
To reply to the original question: I think that the women who are about my age (51) and older had less opportunity to participate in sport than their younger sisters as they grew up. Certainly there were exceptions, but I clearly recall the women not having, say, a track team, to be part of. I suspect that, to some degree, it was probably true with swimming as well. As a result, many women my age and older simply never developed the "habit" of athletics and many carry that over now into middle+ age.
Either that or women just have more sense then men - my wife tells me I think that.
-LBJ
Leonard:
I believe your statement is correct. I made this observation on another thread a while back which I will post here. Leslie, if you notice on post 19 of thread I am linking, it has a breakdown of male/female registered swimmers by age group for 2005 provided by Julie Heather. If you notice the females start outnumbering males at the 30 - 34 age group and the reversal of roles start to happen at the 25-29 and 18-24 age groups big time. If this is indeed the trend then I think all of this discussion will be moot in 20 years.
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
To reply to the original question: I think that the women who are about my age (51) and older had less opportunity to participate in sport than their younger sisters as they grew up. Certainly there were exceptions, but I clearly recall the women not having, say, a track team, to be part of. I suspect that, to some degree, it was probably true with swimming as well. As a result, many women my age and older simply never developed the "habit" of athletics and many carry that over now into middle+ age.
Either that or women just have more sense then men - my wife tells me I think that.
-LBJ
Leonard:
I believe your statement is correct. I made this observation on another thread a while back which I will post here. Leslie, if you notice on post 19 of thread I am linking, it has a breakdown of male/female registered swimmers by age group for 2005 provided by Julie Heather. If you notice the females start outnumbering males at the 30 - 34 age group and the reversal of roles start to happen at the 25-29 and 18-24 age groups big time. If this is indeed the trend then I think all of this discussion will be moot in 20 years.
forums.usms.org/showthread.php
