Swimming History: Women in Swimming

Did you know that wearing a swimsuit skirt was a requirement for female swimmers? According to former Olympic swimmer, Penny Taylor, wearing a skirt attached to your swimsuit was still in the rulebook in the 70s! Taylor’s experience is very unique. At age 92, she saw female swimming start in its earliest stages with baggy, cotton suits to the first latex suit used in Germany to what we see at meets now. She speaks about the inequities women faced in the sport (like how she had to take a 7 day boat ride to the ‘48 games instead of flying like the men), how racing has changed with the invention of lane lines and starting blocks, and the better treatment we see of athletes overall since those early days. There is a lot out there about swimming history, but there is nothing like hearing about it from someone who experienced it in all its forms, as a swimmer and coach. Check out the article posted by USA Swimming here.