Woman attacked by man for swimming "too fast".

[acatcalledjohn]

Another woman attacked by a man for simply existing. I'm glad she's spoken out about it but it's depressing she has to. Previously she was punched in the stomach because apparently swimming faster than a man is "bullying behaviour".

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/swimming-pool-west-london-attack-b1875453.html

Why aren't these men being banned from the lane swimming sessions if they can't abide by the basic etiquette??

I saw that on Twitter. It is absolutely shocking. Like AssassinatedBeauty, I don't understand why the man wasn't asked to leave and banned from the pool.

They just told him he shouldn't be in the fast lane?!
They should have kicked him out and banned him! Unbelievable.

I gave up aqua aerobics after an aggressive man started having a go at the (almost entirely) female group. He wanted a quiet swim, apparently, and disliked that there was music (so go at a different time, then… this was an organised, advertised session). We all complained to the pool, who did bugger all about it.

It’s depressing how much male entitlement is still pandered to.

I’m a swimmer, not even close to as fast as the top lanes in the squad, but faster than the average public

I’ve been raced and had intimidation attempts but never from anyone in my Lane-

I’ve advised swimmers to switch lanes in the past, blokes not like that, but they can’t keep the speed of our swim, and it’s only right to switch if you’re holding others up.

There is a MASSIVE problem with life guards failing to manage Lane etiquette

Is the fact that lifeguards and sport centre staff are usually young and paid low wages? All the local govt owned sports centres near me are part of a large company (places leisure) who seem very hands off and disinterested in local issues.

And yet single sex swimming is being dismantled and we’re having to justify the need to keep penis havers out of those environments.

There were two of us swimming fast in the lane. One was male and one was female. The man didn’t get attacked but I did.”

What a surprise

@NCwhatsmynameagain

And yet single sex swimming is being dismantled and we’re having to justify the need to keep penis havers out of those environments.

Gotta be an ally.

Just not to women.

@AssassinatedBeauty

Is the fact that lifeguards and sport centre staff are usually young and paid low wages? All the local govt owned sports centres near me are part of a large company (places leisure) who seem very hands off and disinterested in local issues.

Absolutely

I had an aggressive WALKER in my Lane once

Insisting she had the right to walk as it was part of her physio.

Lifeguard “well it doesn’t say she can’t”

Me: “it says SWIM CLOCKWISE. I think that’s where it says you can’t walk in the Lane…”

I swim in a club now, mainly so I don’t have to swim with Joe Public

I’m thinking of sending OUR fast Lane up there to show the Chiswick idiot what Fast looks like

I suppose with the staff it's similar to shop staff having to challenge anti maskers: it's simply not worth the hassle given they get paid peanuts.

Yup, happened to me years ago. Was getting fit again, used to swim at local competition level in my yoof.
"Man" took offence to my ( what he saw as) rapid progress . Took to trying to block the lane. Then tried to " race" me. My dad spotted his behaviour ( we were on a get fit kick together) & warned me. The idiot deliberately " bombed" me the next week.
Of course he was thrown out and banned ( lifeguard saw it), but I could have been badly injured for having the audacity to swim faster than him.

Slightly different but I was cycling one morning. I overtook a man who then caught up with me further on and said 'don't overtake me you bitch' with absolute fury on his face. It was the most bizarre thing ever, we were on a public road for a start.

I followed this story and the police are now treating it as an assault.

I hope pools train staff better - it’s mostly badly paid teens who would prob be at risk from men like that too

It was the aggression that shocked me at the time. That man felt justified in trying to hurt me because I'm better than him at something. 20 odd years later it doesn't shock me that shite like this is still happening, it angers me.

Some men really hate women. It's as simple as that. So whatever you do is hateful too. Very glad this is being pursued.

That is awful- I'm so sorry for all of you who experienced that. I also swim but only did one competition (it was a bike/swim/run) but I hated it because the men's heat who went after ours overtook us swimming (it was in a large lake and we were the amateur women's 30-40 yr heat and they were the elite mens 18-30 yr). I was plowed over and more than one man grabbed my arms to swim past me. I spoke to a few of the women in my heat after the race and asked if that was normal and one said it's just luck of the draw who follows your heat. Another looked shaken and we all agreed our times were much slower than we'd hoped for. I have never attempted another race like that and just swim now for exercise and fun.

My aunt was a competitive swimmer in her youth. Hasn’t swum for years but physio told her it would be good for her, so off she trotted to the local over 60’s session (she was in her 70’s).

Got properly shouted at by a man for swimming “too fast”. She was keeping well out of everyone’s way, plenty of room etc, only doing slow crawl and breastroke, hardly hacking it like Phelps, but he took great offence at a woman swimming faster than him.

He complained to the lifeguard that “aggressive swimming” shouldn’t be allowed. To their credit they told my aunt not to worry, and ignore him, please come back next time and they’d sort it.

They’d roped off a lane especially for her

I wonder if the contracting out of leisure services to private companies has made them less willing to exclude or challenge unacceptable behaviour, because all the managers see is the bottom line. Which is very short term, as ultimately they will have fewer people.

Apologies for the Dm link, but David Wilkie left his club after complaints he was too splashy

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4122782/Who-d-think-David-Wilkie-Olympic-champ-quits-health-club-ticked-lifeguard-swimming-fast.html

It's been going on years, I used to get this 30 years ago, kicking you, not letting you pass at the end of lanes however many times you've overtaken them, blocking your way, men hate fast women. I am still quite fast for a middle aged woman, I can swim faster than most recreational blokes and I'm always on the watch out for vindictive behaviour, especially young ones who are trying to impress their girlfriends but are being beaten by me!

[quote MzHz]Apologies for the Dm link, but David Wilkie left his club after complaints he was too splashy

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4122782/Who-d-think-David-Wilkie-Olympic-champ-quits-health-club-ticked-lifeguard-swimming-fast.html[/quote]
Sounds like he actually kicked/bumped into another swimmer and was rightly told off for it.

I think it’s got worse over these Covid times, and having to book places for lane sessions.

There is a MASSIVE problem with life guards failing to manage Lane etiquette

Yes, but they’re often young, under paid and (more importantly) not backed up by management.

Swimmers bump all the time, In the other report I read ages ago it was said she complained he was too splashy. That was in the local paper.

This is one of the reasons why I go to the ladies only swim.
The last time I went to a mixed swim a man kept swimming really close behind me and spending a lot of time under the water with goggles on. I tried to wait at the side to allow him to pass and he would say ‘after you’ or ‘ladies first’ with a smirk on his face. I waited at the end, pretended to mess about with my watch or catch my breath but he would wait for me to swim off and then follow.

So lucky our local pool have kept the ladies only sessions, otherwise I wouldn’t swim anymore.