The Evolution of Competitive Swimming in American Culture

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The regular person thinks that swimming isn’t really complex. One person just swims down and back and thats it. Nothing else, nothing more deep into the sport and nothing really changed about it either. But how has swimming changed as a sport in the last 50 years? The sport has changed so much throughout the last 50 years because what the American people are doing to improve the sport. Swimming has been almost the same sport since the 60’s-70’s, but things that have changed are the swimmers, technique of strokes and the technology of the sport which in turn reflects that American culture has evolved in technology and skills in America.
Back in 1972, the best swimmer was Mark Spitz, but now it is Michael Phelps. According to the World Biography “The difference between Phelps and Spitz is remarkably different”. Michael Phelps had a lot more things to make him a better swimmer, he had more knowledge of the sport and a more efficient body type. The World Biography says that “Mark got seven gold at 1972 and Phelps got eight in 2008” . Phelps won gold in all of his events in the 2008 Olympics and Spitz got gold in all of his but he only did seven events in 1972. Phelps had more opportunities in his time of swimming than Spitz.Which shows the evolution in skills in American culture through Michael Phelps
Born in Modesto, California on February 10 1950. Spitz started training at the YMCA in Sacramento. He left and went to Arden Hills Swim Club. Later he took his swimming to the next level when he went to Santa Clara Swim Club. The World Biography says “Mark Spitz was 17 when he entered the Olympics in 1968 in Mexico City”. His first Olympics he won the 4x100m Freestyle Relay, 4x200m Freestyle Relay, 200m Butterfly and 400m Individual ...

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