Pre pubescent swim times

[Ozgirl75]

So I recently attended my sons’ swim carnival and saw the school records on the back of the program. Thought I’d reproduce here to show that the differences start well before puberty. This is a standard primary school in Sydney.
Hope the photo loads ok, haven’t done this before!

It’s quite starkly illustrated there, isn’t it!
If we can all see it, why can’t the law makers/sports governing bodies - and why are they too afraid to admit it?

I know! Like, it’s so stark, even at this age where boys and girls are similar heights and builds.
Later in the year I’ll see the cross country times and these were equally stark.
What’s important about these times is that the fastest swimmer in each age and race goes to the next level competition (against other schools), and then the fastest there go onto another competition and after that it’s state level.
It’s a clear path to elite sport for both boys and girls.

Also very evident in US athletics times for prepubescrnt children..

The problem is that this isn’t news, people have just got cognitive dissonance in this area. I’m sure we all remember how at school boys and girls raced separately because of differences in timings, even before puberty. The fastest girls would have been near the back of the 100m sprint at my school if racing the athletic boys.

Male inclusion in the female category is the priority, fairness is not. That's why these stats don't swing it

@Tonsiltrouble

The problem is that this isn’t news, people have just got cognitive dissonance in this area. I’m sure we all remember how at school boys and girls raced separately because of differences in timings, even before puberty. The fastest girls would have been near the back of the 100m sprint at my school if racing the athletic boys.

Agree. It was a few experiences like this that made me look at the figures. Our cross country is run together (although timed separately). In the age 11 race last year, my son (who is fit but not a runner, did no training, just turned up and ran 3K) came around 30th and yet only ONE girl finished ahead of him. When my 8 year old did his race, he came third (he does like running) and ended up going to the next level competition (against other schools). His time had him finish 54th in the boys race (out of 100). When I looked at his time compared to the girls times, he would have been placed 8th if he’d decided to run “as a girl”. No girls would have been in the top 10 (requirement to go to the next level of competition).

Part of me wonders if Lia Thomas is a “plant” to show how unfair this is and to peak more people!
I think, people (men) don’t seem to care about rape centres, prisons, changing rooms or toilets but maybe they would care if it can pique their sense of sporting fairness and cheating.

Wow thats very marked

The percentage difference far exceeds the difference in adult male and female world record times. About 13% difference for 50m among adults and 33% among kids. So much for the differences only kicking in after puberty...

@Truthlikeness

The percentage difference far exceeds the difference in adult male and female world record times. About 13% difference for 50m among adults and 33% among kids. So much for the differences only kicking in after puberty...

Yes and I assume that a lot of that is because adult times are presumably between professional or semi professional swimmers, whereas this is just a random sampling of primary school children. So maybe women who train as actual swimmers are able to improve significantly (but still nowhere near men of course)

Great bit on this topic of pre-pubertal performance differences from Coach Blade (on a panel with Emma Hilton and Sharron Davies and others):

Link should take you to timestamp 1:18:38, the relevant bit.