An athlete's racial or ethnic background depends on the country the person originates from. If a country does not compete in an event, no one of any specific racial or ethnic group will be present. And any countries that do compete should be considered to draw their athletes from a representative population of their citizens. This is not always the case. Blacks represent about 13% of the US population. This is a relatively high percentage of the population compared to other nations with large Olympic teams, such as Canada, the UK, and countries in Europe and Asia. In statistical terms, about one in every eight persons in the US Olympic team would be black. The distribution of blacks is not evenly spread across the country and local variations will occur. More dominant, though, is probably the fact that competitive swimming tends to be a pursuit of the middle class. Swimming lessons, at any level, for children coming up through the system must be paid for by the parents. These can be fairly costly. Suitable facilities are not present everywhere, partly because of the cost of constructing them. The percentage of blacks in the middle class in the US is quite a bit lower than their overall percentage in the population. They have less access to facilities and less ability to pay for them, and, hence, a lower participation rate. Similarly, the class structure in other nations affects the percentage of the black population that is exposed to competitive swimming. Events such as track and field are relatively cheap to run, so just about any country can field a team. Events such as swimming are much more expensive, meaning a higher percentage of the facilities exist in the wealthier strata of wealthier nations.

RedJohn is making every effort to avoid answering honestly, using a litany of "reasons" that don't hold water...no pun intended. Swimming is no more costly than track & field, a sport in which blacks proliferate. The simple, un-PC answer is that just as there are physiological differences that allow blacks to excel in sprinting, there are specific differences in physiology such as muscle & bone density and buoyancy, muscle type, oxygen processing capability that impede blacks from elite level performance in swimming. Swimming is very different than other sports. On land, everyone is dealing with the same gravity, same surface. Not so in the water. If you're fighting your own buoyancy, you're going to lose to someone who isn't. Swimming puts a different kind of demand on the muscles and cardiovascular system than running. There are certainly good swimmers who are black, but essentially none who excel at the highest levels. There have been a few supposedly "black" swimmers who have medaled at the Olympics in short distance or relay events but even at that, upon seeing them, for the most part their categorization as "black" is questionable at best. They've all been of obviously mixed race. Do research on Google and see if you can find even one who is clearly of direct, subsaharan African descent. I.e. a "dark" black. In some cases, such as with Anthony Irvin, classification as "black" is downright laughable. Blacks are also absent from the elite ranks of powerlifters, i.e. those who compete in "strongman" competitions at the highest levels.

Hmm, Swimming isn't a major part of Black culture are far as sports go. One reason is due to lack of facilities and money in urban areas. As far your power lifting issue, the same applies. I'm black and I can tell you better muscle and power genetics are in the Africans. Blacks tend to pursue the sports that are more culturally recognized. As for the bone density issue, I'm sure we do have denser/stronger bones, but powerful muscles make up for it. Don't believe in strength/power/muscle abilities, just take a look at bodybuilding and you'll see (Ronnie Coleman). The harsher conditions over a long period of time in Africa has evolved the black man to have exceptionally natural physical characteristics. In due time, as more blacks branch out in sports, I'll will be proven.

obbzerver Is basically talking rubbish, what he's talking about is the same type of claptrap I've heard a million times before, a friend asked me once if I could swim, before I could reply a girl in the group piped up, "Black people can't swim as a result of the density of their bones" I was quite surprised considering that in my group of friends/family I'm considered a very good swimmer. obbserver has no scientific knowledge or basis to back up the rubbish he's spewing here, It's all laughable & pathetic stereotypes of the don't you know white men can't jump genre, not to mention he making sweeping generalizations about people, some sports are not actually that popular with some ethnicities, How many Chinese take part in swimming in the U.S? Or then consider Irvin, maybe mixed race, he's possibly been exposed to swimming from when he was very young, As with the white kids. To conclude there IS NO scientific basis for the Gibberish obbzerver is coming out with, this is simply his own closet racist perceptions of how different people are.

RedJohn's answer makes a lot of sense. The fact is that swimming is a far more expensive sport to particpate in for most black people. But also a sport being part of a people's culture has a lot to do with people excelling at that sport. I am from Jamaica which does excellently in track and field, because the competition in this sport is INTENSE from a very young age. Not so with swimming which is for the upper and middle classes.