The Olympic Games are the world’s largest display of athletic skill and competitive spirit. There are also displays of nationalism, business and politics. Well-known throughout the world the games have been used to promote understanding and friendship among nations. Among the main themes of the Olympic Games there are relationships that relate to Kinesiology.
One specific event from the 2016 Olympics that had great correlation with the major course of Kinesiology was Simone Manuel’s barrier breaking swim. Simone Manuel’s 100-meter freestyle victory made her the first female African American gold medalist swimmer. Coming into the race Manuel was going to face a tough challenge going up against the Australian sisters Cate Campbell and Bronte …show more content…
As we watch her swim we noticed that these swimmers are wearing different gear to adapt to their environment. Swimmers wear Speedos that will provide biomechanical positioning to suit their flexibility, breathing and power output. Speedo uses rough and smooth material on different parts of the body and the seams are made of high stretch thread to follow in the direction of water flow. Watching Simone Manuel’s race we also notice she is wearing a swimming cap. By wearing a swimming cap, swimmers will not be dragged. Drag, otherwise known as resistance, slows the swimmer …show more content…
Due to the lack of African Americans in swimming we do not see African American children trying to become swimmers. Children tend to rely on media to figure out who they will be rooting for. However, media does not see swimming on the same pedestal as the other sports in America. The majority of children grow up watching football on Sundays with dad. Society has been accustomed to the other major sports. Not in a million years did the media ever think an African American would win an Olympic gold in swimming. Now that Simone Manuel has broken that silence I hope to see more kids of different race getting into the pool and hopefully reaching their
One specific event from the 2016 Olympics that had great correlation with the major course of Kinesiology was Simone Manuel’s barrier breaking swim. Simone Manuel’s 100-meter freestyle victory made her the first female African American gold medalist swimmer. Coming into the race Manuel was going to face a tough challenge going up against the Australian sisters Cate Campbell and Bronte …show more content…
As we watch her swim we noticed that these swimmers are wearing different gear to adapt to their environment. Swimmers wear Speedos that will provide biomechanical positioning to suit their flexibility, breathing and power output. Speedo uses rough and smooth material on different parts of the body and the seams are made of high stretch thread to follow in the direction of water flow. Watching Simone Manuel’s race we also notice she is wearing a swimming cap. By wearing a swimming cap, swimmers will not be dragged. Drag, otherwise known as resistance, slows the swimmer …show more content…
Due to the lack of African Americans in swimming we do not see African American children trying to become swimmers. Children tend to rely on media to figure out who they will be rooting for. However, media does not see swimming on the same pedestal as the other sports in America. The majority of children grow up watching football on Sundays with dad. Society has been accustomed to the other major sports. Not in a million years did the media ever think an African American would win an Olympic gold in swimming. Now that Simone Manuel has broken that silence I hope to see more kids of different race getting into the pool and hopefully reaching their