Black African Athletes?

Question

There are many black successful athletes in most sports but they are absent from swimming - why?

Answer 1

Like white men can´t jump, black men obviously can´t swim!

Answer 2

I once saw the South African national swimming team in action (after apartheid had been overthrown). They had both black and white swimmers and there was no difference in the level of their performance. As others have said, it depends largely on having access to training opportunities and swimming pools. Maybe to the sea, as well, and South Africa scores well there whereas many African countries are landlocked.

Answer 3

The two predominent arguments are:
1.
Black African athletes have heavier bone and muscle density.
2.
Black Africans generally live in lower socio-economic areas were swimming isn't a priorty.

Time will tell, i think it may be a little of both but remember that their are always exception's to the rule.

Answer 4

look at the australian example, they have world class swimming academy with world class coaches. Olympic class swimming pools. The effect of this is that australian hauls in tons of gold medals. If the facilities are built and the kids are encouraged to take part then we can compete on a level playing field.
I live in London and I take my kids to swimming pools, i see a lot of african kids taking part in trainning but i doubt that they will represent africa if they are succesful.

Answer 5

It is a matter of time, preferance and access. There are a growing number of African participating in aquatic sports but it will take time for this to be seen as an opportunity.

It has nothing to do with pigment...coz pigment has overcome all the other hiderances so far!

Answer 6

They are not absent. In the high school boys division in Missouri there is this really amazing swimmer and he has gone to state all three years of his high school career.
Also Maritza Correia was a 2004 Olympic silver medalist and Cullen Jones, was fifth in the World Championship trials and

Answer 7

Assuming that you're not using "Black African" as a euphemism for Negroes living in the USA ('cos as far as I'm concerned the latter are not African, but American):
Africa is a very large place with not many Swimming Pools in it (except as garden features for the financially well-off)

Answer 8

i hate to say it, but many of african americans are not well off, anf swimming pools are only in rich areas, so children learn to swim at an earlier age. also, genetically speaking, african americans have denser muscles, therefore, theyre muscles are heavier making them less boyant, and less efficent.

Answer 9

It is to do with the pigment in the skin, they just sink.

Earlier arguments in relation to people living in Africa are ridiculous as there are plenty of black Americans who have access to the necessary training facilities, so there are no black American swimmers either

Answer 10

maybe there are no swimming pools or swimming lessons available to people,look blacks rule when it comes to football,basketball,track,golf,(tiger woods) tennis( Venus and Serena)we had to leave something open for "other" people to excel at!