“The Swimming Contest” ends with the word losers. What do you think the author means for readers to understand by this? What was "lost"?

Answer 1

The author likely means for readers to understand that the characters in the story have experienced a loss, whether it be a physical loss (such as a race or competition) or an emotional loss (such as a sense of pride or accomplishment). The characters may have lost the competition, but they have also gained a valuable lesson in perseverance and resilience.