It's a common anecdote. Where do you think fish out of water comes from? You may be skeptical about the biking but it's a fact, I work with these people :)
In an ideal world height is directly related to strength obviously. Weightlifters spend 5-10+ years training, are genetically gifted for strength, maxed-out muscular potential. Swimmers aren't what I would call ideal candidates for this!
Also, read graph D. Swimmers are typically taller and have less cross sectional area than other athletes, which shows in their poor non-water fitness assessments (read the lit if you are interested). Gymnasts are shorter (170ish+-10) and have more cross sectional area for their size. I've worked with many sub elite gymnasts who went almost directly into national rankings in many sports (e.g. cycling, weightlifting, football, american football, track and field disciplines).
Influence of sports background on leg muscle coordination in vertical jumps:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12712802?ordinalpos=1&...
The book "sports talent" has some interesting tidbits for you as well.
Anyway, this has gone on long enough - let's agree to disagree :)
Anyway, let's agree to disagree.