The document presents a comparative analysis of elite athletic performances between men and women across various sports, highlighting the consistent speed ratios of about 0.89. It examines record data from recognized international sports authorities and provides specific statistics on running, kayaking, swimming, cycling, rowing, and speed skating, indicating a notable similarity in performance ratios. The findings suggest that these ratios reflect underlying physiological differences, with potential implications for training and competitive structures in sports.

1. The almost constant ratio of record speedsThe almost constant ratio of record speeds
forfor
women vs. men elite athleteswomen vs. men elite athletes
Ira Hammerman
Revava, Israel
June 6, 2010 ira@mailaps.org
A comparison over distances and multiple sports
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2. Looking at performance of elite athletes toLooking at performance of elite athletes to
teach us something about human capabilitiesteach us something about human capabilities
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• Looking at world record performance gives a view of human physiology,
since elite athletes approach closely the ultimate capabilities of a human
being.
• Comparing relative record performances of men and women can teach us
the relative ultimate physical capabilities of the two genders
• Studying the record performances over multiple sports and varied event
types, may teach us something universal.
• Use only record data from the recognized international sports authorities
and only data for which identical competitions exist for men and women

3. 200200 m outdoor running records:m outdoor running records:
a comparisona comparison
Men: Usain Bolt
Berlin ,Aug 8, 2009: 19.19 sec
Women: Florence Griffith-Joyner
Seoul, Sep 29, 1988: 21.34 sec
0.899
21.34
19.19
SpeedMen
SpeedWomen
TimeWomen
TimeMen
Ratio 
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4. What if GriffithWhat if Griffith--Joyner Ran in Bolt’sJoyner Ran in Bolt’s
RecordRecord 200200m in Berlinm in Berlin 20092009 ??
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5. Running Speed vs. Distance:Running Speed vs. Distance:
6060 meters tometers to 11 kmkm
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6. Running Speeds vs. DistanceRunning Speeds vs. Distance
loglog--log plotlog plot
Note: 3 orders
of magnitude!
Looks like
constant factor
difference
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7. Time ratios forTime ratios for 3030 running categoriesrunning categories
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8. Summary:Summary:
Running Women/Men Speed RatiosRunning Women/Men Speed Ratios
Indoors (60m to 3km; 9 distances) 0.90 ± 0.01
Outdoors (100m to Marathon; 21 distances) 0.89 ± 0.02
All Running (60m to Marathon; 30 categories) 0.89 ± 0.02
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9. Scale down the men’s speeds byScale down the men’s speeds by 00..8989
Almost Match !
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10. Let’s look at a completely different sport:Let’s look at a completely different sport:
KayakingKayaking
Kayaking competitions:
Distances:
200 m, 500 m, 1000 m
Number in Crew:
1, 2 or 4
K4 K1 10

11. Speed ratios forSpeed ratios for 99 kayaking categorieskayaking categories
Distance Number in
Crew
Men
Record
Time (s)
Women
Record
Time (s)
Ratio
200 m 1 33.98 38.97 0.872
200 m 2 31.57 36.32 0.869
200 m 4 29.023 33.778 0.859
500 m 1 95.63 107.343 0.891
500 m 2 86.873 97.987 0.887
500 m 4 79.65 90.765 0.878
1000 m 1 204.495 232.93 0.878
1000 m 2 189.19 214.935 0.880
1000 m 4 169.875 193.296 0.879
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12. Summary:Summary:
Kayaking Men/Women Time RatiosKayaking Men/Women Time Ratios
All Kayaking (9 categories) 0.88 ± 0.01
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13. Let’s look at a completely different sport:Let’s look at a completely different sport:
SwimmingSwimming
Courses: Long course (50 m pool), Short course (25 m pool)
Swim styles and distances:
Freestyle: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 m
Backstroke: 50, 100, 200 m
Breaststroke: 50, 100, 200 m
Total 24 categories
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14. Time ratios forTime ratios for 2424 swimming categoriesswimming categories
Note:
Women seem to do better
for longer swimming
distances
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15. Summary:Summary:
Swimming Men/Women Time RatiosSwimming Men/Women Time Ratios
All Swimming (24 categories) 0.89 ± 0.02
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16. A different sport:A different sport:
Track CyclingTrack Cycling
Events:
Only 3 events are same distances for men and women:
200 m (Flying Start) Ratio:Ratio: 00..8888
500 m (Flying Start) Ratio: 0.83
UTC Hour (Longest distance cycled within 1 hour)
Record Men: 49.4 km Record Women: 46.1 km, Ratio:Ratio: 00..9393
Speed
Endurance
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17. Summary:Summary:
Track Cycling Women/Men Speed RatiosTrack Cycling Women/Men Speed Ratios
All Cycling (3 categories) 0.88 ± 0.04
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18. A different sport:A different sport: RowingRowing
Rowing competitions have all the same distance: 2 km,
but differ in crew composition and rowing technique
Number in Crew:
1, 2 , 4 or 9 (8 plus coxswain, who steers and coordinates but doesn’t row)
Weight of Crew: normal or lightweight
Forms of rowing: sweep (rower has one oar, held in both hands)
sculling (rower has two oars, one in each hand)
Since competitions are in rivers or lakes, currents and winds influence
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19. Rowing ExamplesRowing Examples
Pair (Sweep)
Coxed 8 (Sweep)
Single (Scull)
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20. Time ratios forTime ratios for 1010 rowing categoriesrowing categories
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21. Summary:Summary:
Rowing Men/Women Time RatiosRowing Men/Women Time Ratios
All Rowing (10 categories) 0.90 ± 0.01
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22. Speed Skating on IceSpeed Skating on Ice::
The fastest human powered sportThe fastest human powered sport
Arm and leg powered
Improvements in skates and garments affect speed
Events common for men and women:
500m, 2 x 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m
From sprint to endurance
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23. All Speed Skating (6 categories)
0.91 ± 0.01
Summary:Summary:
Speed Skating Men/Women Time RatiosSpeed Skating Men/Women Time Ratios
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In skating:
women speed closer
to men’s than in
any other sport

24. Summary for all the sportsSummary for all the sports
Sport Number
Events
Average Men/ Women
Time Ratio
Running 30 0.89 ± 0.02
Kayaking 9 0.88 ± 0.02
Swimming 24 0.89 ± 0.02
Cycling 3 0.88 ± 0.04
Rowing 10 0.90 ± 0.01
Skating 6 0.91 ± 0.01
All Sports 82 0.89 ± 0.02
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25. Summary for all the sports (Summary for all the sports (22))
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26. Progression over years:Progression over years:
Example:Example: 200200m sprintm sprint
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Ratio remains close to 0.90 for 55 years !!
Griffith-Joyner
Bolt

27. Where there is a good opportunity to improveWhere there is a good opportunity to improve
record: where deviation fromrecord: where deviation from 00..8989 is largis largee
 For an event with a low ratio (women/men record speed), e.g. 0.83 for
500m cycling, increased training could probably improve the women’s
speed.
 For an event with a high ratio (women/men record speed), e.g. 0.93 for
1-hour cycling, increased training could probably improve the men’s
speed.
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28. What is the limiting speed factorWhat is the limiting speed factor
that gives a nearly constant speed ratio?that gives a nearly constant speed ratio?
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If the effect is universal independent of details of
the sport, the factor must be SIMPLE and BASIC
HINTS at a possible explanation:
from hemoglobin concentration,
and maximum oxygen consumption

29. Hemoglobin concentrationHemoglobin concentration
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Men: 13.6 to 17.5 g/dl
Women: 12.0 to 15.5 g/dl
Ratio (Women/Men): 0.88 to 0.89 !!
Source: Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 2009, Lange
But what about
Sprints where
Oxygen supply
probably isn’t critical?

30. Maximum Oxygen ConsumptionMaximum Oxygen Consumption
VOVO22MaxMax (ml/kg/min)(ml/kg/min)
in long distance runners:in long distance runners:
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Men: Women:
Runner VO2Max Runner VO2Max
Marius Bakken 87.4 Grete Waitz 73.5
David Bedford 85.0 Jarmilla Krotochvilova 72.8
Steve Prefontaine 84.4 Ingrid Kristiansen 71.2
Sebastian Coe 77.0 Rosa Mota 67.2
John Landy 76.6 Joan Benoit Samuelson 78.6
Average: 82.1 Average: 72.7
Source: http://fitness.testing.8m.com/vo2max-test.htm
http://www.runningforfitness.org/faq/vo2.php
Ratio = 72.7 / 82.1 = 0.89 !! Warning!
Small selection,
Testing procedure might
not be the same

31. Final Question:Final Question:
Why are there separate chess competitions for men and women?
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32. ReferencesReferences
 “Causes of sexual dimorphism in performance traits: a comparative approach”,
R. Van Damme, et al., Evolutionary Ecology Research, 10: 229–250 (2008)
 “A theory of competitive running”, J.B. Keller, Physics Today, 26(9): 43-47 (1973)
 “Development of peak performance in track cycling”, Y.O. Schumacher, et al, J
Sports Med Phys Fitness, 41(2): 139-146 (2001)
 “Modelling the Development of World Records in Running “, Kuper, G.H. and
Sterken E. , 7-31,. In: Statistical Thinking in Sports, J. Albert and Koning R.H. (eds.),
Chapman & Hall: Boca Raton.
 “Gender & Sport”, Owen Anderson, Peak Performance Online,
http://www.pponline.co.uk/enyc/0151.htm
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