Lotsa fish go faster than Phelps.
Lotsa animals go faster than any human runner.
So why should I give a smelly Obama about either?
Ha! That’s what I always think when men on FR dismiss women as inferior athletes. Within their God-given physical form, women can compete just as avidly as men—and horses are easily stronger and faster than men anyway.
Sport is an effective distraction just because it is inherently unimportant.
(But I’d say the lessons learned on playing fields are very important. Better we go back to valuing teamwork there and let students study and perform as individuals, rather than with the current fad of group work.)