DIDN'T BLACKS BE BORN TO SWIM? STUDY ON THE ACCESS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS TO THE COMPETITIVE SWIMMING PRACTICE IN THE CITY OF RIBEIRÃO PRETO/SP, BRAZIL

Abstract

Swimming competitions commonly have more white participants than black ones, a fact that is sometimes justified in the literature by biological and racial differences. Socio-economic and sociocultural assumptions can refute such justifications. Goals: to investigate the presence of black swimmers in children's and youth teams in Ribeirão Preto/SP, Brazil. Methods: application of questionnaires to parents and legal representatives of young swimmers about skin color and family income. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square, KruskallWallis and Confidence interval statistical tests. Results and conclusions: More white swimmers than blacks were found; The few black swimmers are favored socioeconomically; Sociocultural and socioeconomic factors can prevent athletes from participating in childhood swimming training and competitions, hindering their success in high performance.