Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Black swimmers still under-represented in the pool

Black swimmers still under-represented in the pool

WHEN Alice Dearing earned her ticket to Tokyo 2020 as the first black female swimmer to represent Britain at an Olympics, she spoke of "decades and decades of historical and cultural racism" in the sport.

The 24-year-old student will be only the third black British swimmer ever to compete for an Olympic medal.


"It's a really exciting moment for myself and for black history and black culture," she told reporters.

"At the same time it is such a shame it took as long as 2021 to get to this point."

When it comes to diversity, swimming has a way to go.

In 2019, Swim England revealed to the BBC that only 668 of its 73,000 registered competitive swimmers identified as Black or mixed race.

A 2020 Active Lives survey carried out by Sport England revealed 95 per cent of black adults and 80 per cent of black children in England did not swim.

Britain is not an isolated case. Swimming, particularly at elite level and in nations that bag most of the medals when the Games come around, has long been white-dominated.

According to the USA Swimming Foundation, 64 per cent of the country's African American children, compared to 40 per cent of Caucasian ones, have little-to-no swimming ability.

The figure is 79 per cent among children from households with incomes of less than $50,000.

Access to pools, often involving membership of private clubs, has been one of the big barriers.

"Pools are expensive. Much more expensive than a soccer field or a basketball court," retired US swimmer Matt Biondi, an 11-times Olympic medallist and former world record holder, told Reuters.

"It’s a country club sport, like tennis and golf, and it takes financial resources to develop swimmers. That’s the reality of it."

When Eric 'The Eel' Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea turned up at the 2000 Sydney Olympics for the 100m freestyle, he had previously swum only in a 12 metre hotel pool available between 5 and 6am.

That he finished the distance, albeit in nearly two minutes, was a triumph over adversity not always highlighted in media coverage. He eventually lowered his personal best to under 57 seconds.

Landmarks for diversity

The landmarks for diversity in a core Olympic sport with the second most medal events after track and field have come comparatively recently.

The first black swimmer to win an individual Olympic medal was Curacao-born Enith Brigitha for the Netherlands in 1976 while the first to win gold was Suriname's Anthony Nesty in 1988.

Nesty beat Biondi by one hundredth of a second in that 100m butterfly final in Seoul.

It took until 2004 for Maritza Correia to become the first black female swimmer to win an Olympic medal for the United States.

Compatriot Cullen Jones became the first black male swimmer to hold a world record in swimming in 2008, while Simone Manuel in 2016 was the first African-American woman to win Olympic swimming gold.

Manuel, who will be swimming in Tokyo, said in Rio she had felt the weight of history on her shoulders and paid tribute to those who had gone before.

"I’m super glad with the fact that I can be an inspiration to others and hopefully diversify the sport," she said.

"At the same time I would like there to be a day where there are more of us and it’s not ‘Simone the Black swimmer’ because the title ‘Black swimmer’ makes it seem like I’m not supposed to be able to win a gold medal, not supposed to be able to break records."

Dearing said she had experienced incidences of racism, including another swimmer's coach referring to her in derogatory words.

She spoke of how struck she had been to see photographs from the 1960s of acid being poured into the pool of a whites-only hotel in the United States after civil rights protesters jumped in.

The Briton is also a co-founder of the Black Swimming Association (BSA), promoting water safety and campaigning to make swimming more inclusive and accessible.

Dearing said generations of black families had grown up convinced the best form of safety was to stay away from the water rather than learning to swim, and it was important to change that.

The campaigning also extends to the use of caps designed for bigger hair styles, currently not allowed in competition but under review by world body FINA after criticism in the run-up to Tokyo.

"I am really hoping that things can start to move forward and people can look at swimming and think it's not just a sport meant for people of a certain race," said Dearing. "It's inclusive and black people can swim."

(Reuters)

More For You

Bumrah Tests

Despite taking 5-83 in the first innings at Headingley, Bumrah went wicketless in the second as England chased down a target of 371, with opener Ben Duckett scoring 149.

Getty Images

2nd Test: India wait on Bumrah decision as they look to bounce back against England

INDIA will take a last-minute call on whether to include Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England, starting Wednesday at Edgbaston in Birmingham, as they look to level the five-match series.

Bumrah, currently the top-ranked Test bowler, would usually be a straightforward selection after India’s five-wicket defeat in the opening Test at Headingley. However, the fast bowler is returning from a back injury and had earlier said he expected to play only three of the five Tests.

Keep ReadingShow less
Raducanu Shines in Dominant Start to Wimbledon 2025 Campaign

Raducanu and Jack Draper are making most of the headlines

Getty Images

Raducanu begins Wimbledon campaign with confident win

Key points

  • Emma Raducanu defeated fellow Briton Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 in the Wimbledon first round.
  • Xu, 17, was making her Grand Slam debut and appeared overwhelmed early on.
  • Raducanu dropped just three points on serve in the first set.
  • Despite a series of breaks in the second set, Raducanu regained control to seal victory.
  • She described the all-British clash as “difficult” but was pleased with the result.

  • The biggest home assault on Wimbledon for 41 years got off to a great start on Monday when Emma Raducanu triumphed in an all-British clash.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    chennai-rpl

    Kennedy scored two tries in Chennai’s 41-0 win over Delhi Redz in the final of the six-team rugby sevens franchise league held in Mumbai. (Photo credit: Rugby Premier League)

    Rugby Premier League

    Chennai win first Rugby Premier League title as Sevens debuts in India

    IRELAND Sevens international Terry Kennedy played a key role in helping Chennai Bulls secure the first Rugby Premier League (RPL) title in India on Sunday, as the new format marked its arrival in a country known for its focus on cricket.

    Kennedy scored two tries in Chennai’s 41-0 win over Delhi Redz in the final of the six-team rugby sevens franchise league held in Mumbai.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Mahima Sharma cricket

    In an industry long regarded as a boys’ club, Sharma brings a refreshingly unapologetic approach

    wclegends.uk

    Mahima Sharma brings bold new energy to cricket’s old guard

    As the world prepares for the second edition of the World Championship of Legends (WCL), one of its most exciting franchises, the Meteora England Champions, is being led by a compelling force. Mahima Sharma is not just making her mark in cricket – she is quietly redefining leadership in a male-dominated industry.

    In an industry long regarded as a boys’ club, Sharma brings a refreshingly unapologetic approach. She is strategic, deeply rooted in her love for the game, and proudly feminine. “Cricket has always felt like home to me,” she says. “I come from a culture where cricket is an emotion, and stepping into this role carries a great deal of responsibility. Growing up, I saw very few women leaders in cricket. To now find myself in this position 15 years later feels like coming full circle.”

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Azhar Mahmood

    Mahmood, a pace bowling allrounder, played 143 one-day internationals and 21 Tests for Pakistan. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    Azhar Mahmood named interim red-ball head coach of Pakistan

    PAKISTAN on Monday appointed former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood as the interim head coach of the men’s Test team. He is the fourth person to hold the position in the past 18 months.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the 50-year-old will remain in the role until January.

    Keep ReadingShow less