Generally, boys and men tend to swim faster than girls and women in competitive swimming.
Here's a breakdown:
- Faster Times: Studies show that the fastest male swim times are generally faster than the fastest female swim times. For example, one study noted the fastest male swim time was 6.7% faster than the fastest female swim time.
- Sex Differences: The performance difference between the top male and female swimmers can be significant. One study showed a performance gap of ~8.9% between the top three times.
- Average Speed: Although individual records show men are typically faster, the average swim speed may be closer between men and women. One source indicates the fastest annual swim speed didn't differ greatly between men (~0.89 m/s) and women (~0.84 m/s).
It's important to note that individual performance varies greatly, and there are exceptionally talented female swimmers who might outperform some male swimmers. However, on average, male swimmers tend to be faster.
