I’m sitting here watching the Olympics, and I wonder, has there ever been an event where the women’s record was faster than the men’s?
That match with Billy Jean King.
An example of Olympic event where the women’s record is faster than the men’s is the high jump. Unfortunately, the height of the jump is more important that its duration.
Although not Olympic events, for some long distance swimming feats like crossing the English Channel, the women’s record has sometimes been better than the men’s.
The short answer is “No.”
Women have never come close to outperforming men in ANY Olympic event involving physical prowess. Women HAVE, of course, beaten men in events like shooting (which USED to have men squaring off directly against women) and equestrian events (the one Olympic event in which the two genders compete directly).
If you want to look at NON-Olympic events, women tend to do very well in ULTRA-endurance sports. Not the marathon, but ultra-marathons and extreme endurance (50 miles, 100+ miles) bicycle races and footraces. It’s not unusual for women to win such events (though you rarely HEAR of such events, because nobody but the loonies participating knows or CARES about these races.)
It is not an Olympic event, but Patty Wagstaff is probably the top aerobatic pilot in the world. She holds many titles and I believe several records that have not been approached by men despite this being a heavily male dominated sport.
huh? never heard of a woman wining an Ultra marathon. We have on around here and they best times are ALWAYS by men, and by quite a lot at that. I don’t know about cycling etc though. I can’t imagine any woman beating the top male in a physical sport, shooting, equestrian etc than yes I can see that.