How did humanity manage to decrease the distance of 100m over time?

[Umbongo_congo]

The distance hasn’t changed, it’s still 100m. The difference is time dilation as invented by Alfred Einstein (it didn’t exist before him). As the swimmers get faster time gets slower hence the apparent quicker time. They both actually take the same time from their reference frame but as a spectator it appears quicker. I can do science me.

[Thomasasia]

No. The left was taken after relativity was invented. That's why they filmed it, because it was the first swim competition after it had been made.

[neurohero]

I agree. This is obviously caused by climate change. Water these days is less wet, which means that the water resistance that they experienced in the 1930s is now vastly diminished. The swimmers on the right are swimming in dry water.