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

Without further context or information about the story, it is difficult to determine the exact meaning and what was lost in "The Swimming Contest." However, based solely on the word "losers," it can be inferred that the author intends for readers to understand that some participants did not win or achieve their desired outcome in the swimming contest. The term "losers" generally refers to those who didn't come out on top or failed to win a competition.