Superior athletic gene’ in the descendants of West African slaves?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....ls-sprint-finals.html

/// Olympic legend Michael Johnson says a ‘superior athletic gene’ in the descendants of West African slaves means black American and Caribbean sprinters will command the sport at the London Games ///

I always thought that it was 'racist' for one race to consider themselves superior to others?

[Graham-W]

Charity: "East Asians have higher IQs".
Must stop speed reading. I read that as'" East Anglians have....".
LOL

[jno]

there was speculation 30 years ago that Afro-Caribbeans had something in their genes (possibly something to do with spinal strength) that made them better fast bowlers.

The gene seems to have died out quite abruptly.

[Gromit]

// So your counter to Sqad's explanation based no doubt on his training in anatomy is what? //

That even if there is a difference in heel bone, there is no proof that is what makes them better sprinters. There are several theories from different centre of gravity to protein making genes, but no one can find a definitive answer. Sqads answer is just one of many unproven theories.

[pdq1]

Good sprinters have fast fibres, long distance runners have slow fibres. The best sprinters are black. They also have fast fibres whether genetic or not.

[ludwig]

If only there were some way to prove they're consistently better sprinters. A series of races or something over short distances so we could get to the bottom of this thing once and for all.
It would have to be done over a period of time to allow for statistical blips and changes in social factors - Maybe four yearly intervals?
It's probably a crazy idea. Just thinking out loud.

[Duncer]

Running magazine explained it many years ago by saying black athletes have many more fast-twitch muscles/fibres which are predisposed to producing better sprinters. Quite why Kenya and Ethiopa dominate middle distances is different, but there has already been a fairly plausible explanation as regards altitude.

My racist ex brother in law once explained the lack of poor coloured swimmers as being down to the fact "Their Yabbie is too far up their back", and then couldn't understand why I practically p!ssed myself laughing and nearly choked on my beer.

[Bazile]

The little f****r who i disturbed trying to siphon petrol from my car the other day ; covered 100 metres up the road in about 7 seconds - with me in hot pursuit .

He was white

[Gromit]

Bazile

I am guessing that unfortunately, you are not Jamaican.

[emmie]

how does that ring true if some of these black athletes are descended from a white slaver owner or his white employees. Many don't know their full history, how can you if records weren't kept, or perhaps including being given a new name after capture, and sold. It seemed not an isolated thing for white men to have black mistresses in these places. I watched a programme of who do you think you are with Ainsley Harriot who discovered an ancestor was white. Just a thought, as they say.

[anotheoldgit]

Black athletes are historically better in some sports, there can be no doubt of that.

But there was no need for Michael Johnson to bring slavery into it, as some blacks who's ancestors were never slaves, (in fact who never left Africa), would still be equally successful in sporty prowess to those who's descendants were slaves.

Incidentally while on the subject why are there not many Indian footballers, when there are plenty of black footballers?

[emmie]

there are, but perhaps it's because of the problems they have encountered there aren't so many.

http://en.wikipedia.o..._association_football

[sp1814]

Funniest thread EVER, with the prize going to bazwillrun' comment

If you get the chance watch some black men putting jackets on and then watch some white men doing the same.....notice anything

The problem with trying to verify that is that the best place to do it is in the changing rooms at a gym. And I don't think other gym members would appreciate a chap checking out how he gets dressed.

Re: the original post. When someone claims something like that, they ignore all other contributory factors. Saying that descendants from West African slaves have a specific gene trait may actually be true, but he should also acknowledge economic and cultural considerations - to become a great runner is cheap - training shoes and somewhere to run, as opposed to becoming a great yachtsman or equestrian (is that the collective noun for people who take part in equestrian events)? Because yachts aren't cheap, and neither are horses...

[sp1814]

And then there's that thing of copying what your heroes do. There are no world class black swimmers...but think of it this way...perhaps part of the reason is that there are no black first class swimmers. What I mean is that to become great at a sport, you must be dedicated from an early age. Kids look up to role models, and a child's eye will identify with someone they can 'become'.

It would be interesting to see how many black kids have taken up golf and tennis after seeing the success of Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters...

[emmie]

loads, but these sports are still seen as somewhat elitist, and expensive, that's half the problem, though the Williams sisters seem to fly in the face of that notion. They weren't born with the proverbial silver spoon, but learnt their craft the hard way. Having parents who help you is always a good start, if you choose to take up any sport.

[anotheoldgit]

/// The problem with trying to verify that is that the best place to do it is in the changing rooms at a gym. And I don't think other gym members would appreciate a chap checking out how he gets dressed. ///

Methinks a person, black or white would hardly go along to the Gym wearing a jacket.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Kids look up to role models, and a child's eye will identify with someone they can 'become'. ///

/// It would be interesting to see how many black kids have taken up golf and tennis after seeing the success of Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters... ///

So can't black kids look up to white role models also? I am sure there are many white kids who look up to black role models.

[sp1814]

AOG

People go to the gym in the middle of winter too. Also I assume bazwillrun's theory also applies to shirts.

Re: role models - absolutely true. Black kids have white role models and vice verse. However when someone like Woods or the Williams sisters become successful in a sport previously which they may have considered closed to them, it draws the eye of black kids, perhaps in the same way that Eminem's success has spurred more (but less successful) white rappers.

[Mick-Talbot]

bazwilrun - having many times observed black people swimming in the sea in Africa/Caribbean I disagree that they`re "crap swimmers". Maybe they just can`t sustain the distances. A black colleague told me that black people simply dislike swimming in chlorinated water because it gives their skin a grey appearance due to the bleaching effect.

18:43 Sun 01st Jul 2012


lol...are you serious?

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// However when someone like Woods or the Williams sisters become successful in a sport previously which they may have considered closed to them, it draws the eye of black kids, ///

Why should anything be closed to them because they are black?

Why do you continue to harp on about black kids being somehow deprived? They have just the same chances in life as white kids, if not at times more.

[Mick-Talbot]

Why do you continue to harp on about black kids being somehow deprived? They have just the same chances in life as white kids, if not at times more.



Are we in America or the UK now AOG?