Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-p2v8j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-12T22:24:00.323Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The trend of the male-female differential in various speed sports 1936–84

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

K. F. Dyer
K. F. Dyer
Affiliation:
Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Adelaide, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The changes in the average male-female performance difference for nine running, six swimming and four skating events between the years 1936 and 1984 are examined. The data, world records and verified best performances, confirm the conclusions derived in earlier more circumscribed studies that women's performances relative to men's have improved markedly and are continuing to improve. This improvement is manifest in long and short distance events and in those in which women have been competing for a long time as much as those they have taken up recently. Regression analyses suggest that eventual equality of performance may be attained in the foreseeable future. The implications of these findings for women's sport are discussed. Women still have a more restricted programme in these three sports and many others; in particular several of the longer distance events are not open to them at Olympics, World Championships and so forth. These restrictions are obviously based on false perceptions of women's biology. With increasing participation, media exposure, training and social acceptance, women's improvements are likely to continue. The reasons for and implications of the previous incorrect scientific assessment of women's sporting potential are also discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , April 1986 , pp. 169 - 177
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bryson, L. (1983) Sport and the oppression of women. Aust. N.Z. J. Sociol. 19, 413.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dyer, K.F. (1977) The trend of the male-female performance differential in athletics, swimming and cycling 1948–76. J. biosoc. Sci. 9, 325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyer, K.F. (1982) Challenging the Men: Women in Sport. Queensland University Press, St Lucia, Queensland.Google Scholar
Dyer, K.F. (1985) Making up the difference: some explanations for recent improvements in women's athletic performances. Search, in press.Google Scholar
Dyer, K.F. & Dwyer, T. (1984) Running Out of Time: The History of Running Records. New South Wales University Press, Kensington, NSW.Google Scholar
Furlong, J.D.G. & Szreter, R. (1975) The trend of the performance differential between leading men and women athletes 1951–67. Statistician. 24, 115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, A.V. (1925) The Physiological Basis of Athletic Records. Report of the 93rd Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 156. BAAS,London.Google Scholar
Jokl, E. (1956) Sport in the Cultural Pattern of the World. Helsinki Institute of Occupational Health, Finland.Google Scholar
Jokl, E. & Simon, E. (Eds) (1964) International Research in Sport and Physical Education. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois.Google Scholar
Mitchell, S. & Dyer, K.F. (1985) Winning Women: Challenging the Norms in Australian Sport. Penguin, Ringwood, Victoria.Google Scholar
Pozzoli, P.R. (1976) Women's Athletics Yearbook. Women's Track and Field World, London.Google Scholar
Webster, F.A.M. (1930) Athletics of Today for Women. Batsford, London.Google Scholar