Breaking 10 second barrier too difficult for Whites, Asians and East Africans

[Count Iblis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10-second_barrier

Nearly all the sprinters who have beaten the 10-second barrier are of West African descent (with the exceptions of Australian runner Patrick Johnson and Namibian Frankie Fredericks).[4][5][6] No sprinter of predominantly white, Asian or East African descent has achieved this feat.[7][8][9][10] However, Colin Jackson (a mixed race athlete and former world record holder in the 110 metre hurdles)[11] noted that both his parents were talented athletes and suggested that biological inheritance was the greatest influence, rather than any perceived racial factor. Furthermore, successful black role models in track events may reinforce the racial disparity.[8]

 

[drankin]

I think the biggest racial disparity would be in swimming. And hockey if that counts.

 

[Count Iblis]

I think the biggest racial disparity would be in swimming. And hockey if that counts.

The competition between people of different races is greater in the 100 meters sprint than in swimming or hockey. Anyone with a talent for running fast has a reasonable chance of making it to the top. The sprint is an easy to practice sport and training for it is not difficult, it odesn't require expensive facilities.

In case of swimming, it is a different story. E.g. even Michael Phelps only was found to have a talent for competitive swimming by accident. Then, the fact that he is an American instead of an European makes a huge difference because in Europe, compulsory and inflexible school hours will be a obstacle for training. An African Michael Phelps typically won't ever come near to a swimming pool.

 

[drankin]

The competition between people of different races is greater in the 100 meters sprint than in swimming or hockey. Anyone with a talent for running fast has a reasonable chance of making it to the top. The sprint is an easy to practice sport and training for it is not difficult, it odesn't require expensive facilities.

In case of swimming, it is a different story. E.g. even Michael Phelps only was found to have a talent for competitive swimming by accident. Then, the fact that he is an American instead of an European makes a huge difference because in Europe, compulsory and inflexible school hours will be a obstacle for training. An African Michael Phelps typically won't ever come near to a swimming pool.

How about soccer? It's a big sport in Africa. Doesn't cost much to kick a ball around. But globally, they have the worst soccer teams.

 

[Count Iblis]

How about soccer? It's a big sport in Africa. Doesn't cost much to kick a ball around. But globally, they have the worst soccer teams.

That's actually also true for the 100 meters sprint. E.g., Bolt is from Jamaica, not West Africa. But his ancestors are from West Africa. Presumably the sport facilities in countries like Gambia are just too poor and the one in a million supertalent will almost always be that poor kid who has no chance of achieving anything in his life. In Jamaica the situation is presumably a bit better, good enough for the supertalents to be recognized and make it to the top.

In case of soccer, there are talented Africans who play for European teams.

 

[drankin]

That's actually also true for the 100 meters sprint. E.g., Bolt is from Jamaica, not West Africa. But his ancestors are from West Africa. Presumably the sport facilities in countries like Gambia are just too poor and the one in a million supertalent will almost always be that poor kid who has no chance of achieving anything in his life. In Jamaica the situation is presumably a bit better, good enough for the supertalents to be recognized and make it to the top.

In case of soccer, there are talented Africans who play for European teams.

That's probably what's happening. All the good players are being exported.

 

[WhoWee]

Call me a racist if it makes you feel better - black people run faster than white people.

 

[drankin]

Call me a racist if it makes you feel better - black people run faster than white people.

And white people swim faster.

 

[rootX]

Call me a racist if it makes you feel better - black people run faster than white people.

And white people swim faster.

It is not some kind of competition ... but OP could have done a better job in appreciating this fact rather than making racial comparisons.

The article was interesting but I think it might be due to cultural indifference rather than racial.

 

[Count Iblis]

It is not some kind of competition ... but OP could have done a better job in appreciating this fact rather than making racial comparisons.

The article was interesting but I think it might be due to cultural indifference rather than racial.

I think that there is overwhelming evidence that race is an important factor in sports, and that evidence comes from track and field because of the huge participation and not from swimming. I'm not saying that whites would not turn out to be better swimmers than other people, just that we can't yet tell yet.

There is another piece of evidence that supports this. It is the fact that the while people from West Africans descent who turn out to be the sprint talents, come from different countries, e.g. the US, Jamaica, Britain etc. etc.

If you were to follow the British kids who compete in the sprint, you see kids from many different ethnic backgrounds. There are kids who are originally British, there are kids whose parents are from Pakistan, from India, from Bangladesh, from the West Indies, etc. etc. But after some years, you would see that the British champion would be one of the kids from the West Indies, and not just any such kid, but someone whose ancestors are from West Africa (and not from India; a fraction of the people in the West Indies descent from people who came from India a few centuries ago).

 

[lisab]

And white people swim faster.

I was talking with a coworker about this a little while ago. He's black, and is a good swimmer. I asked him why there are so few blacks on swim teams. He said that the biggest reason is hair styles. They can take a lot of time and money (straightening, braiding, etc.), and swimming totally ruins them.

So there may be reasons for this observation that have nothing to do with actual swimming ability.

 

[rootX]

I think that there is overwhelming evidence that race is an important factor in sports, and that evidence comes from track and field because of the huge participation and not from swimming. I'm not saying that whites would not turn out to be better swimmers than other people, just that we can't yet tell yet.

There is another piece of evidence that supports this. It is the fact that the while people from West Africans descent who turn out to be the sprint talents, come from different countries, e.g. the US, Jamaica, Britain etc. etc.

If you were to follow the British kids who compete in the sprint, you see kids from many different ethnic backgrounds. There are kids who are originally British, there are kids whose parents are from Pakistan, from India, from Bangladesh, from the West Indies, etc. etc. But after some years, you would see that the British champion would be one of the kids from the West Indies, and not just any such kid, but someone whose ancestors are from West Africa (and not from India; a fraction of the people in the West Indies descent from people who came from India a few centuries ago).

There are better ways to point that out than making people from other races feel inferior in that area:

Breaking 10 second barrier too difficult for Whites, Asians and East Africans

One relevant thing I noticed that I can make statements like that against minority and I would be racist. But, making against majority are considered as a part of making society more multicultural.

 

[WhoWee]

I think that there is overwhelming evidence that race is an important factor in sports, and that evidence comes from track and field because of the huge participation and not from swimming. I'm not saying that whites would not turn out to be better swimmers than other people, just that we can't yet tell yet.

I think participation is the key. Track is a very old and popular sport. Nearly every able-bodied child competes in a foot race at some point in their lives. The faster a child runs, the longer they compete and stay interested.

Swimming is different. If you visit a pool or a beach, most people splash around and play - very few are racing. Competitive swimming takes years to master. The same is true of hockey, which was mentioned earlier.

 

[mgb_phys]

He's black, and is a good swimmer. I asked him why there are so few blacks on swim teams.

Supposedly to do with average muscle mass, the same thing that makes you a good 100m sprinter makes you sink.

Jamaica (like Australia) has a long tradition of doing very well in sports, so promising youngsters are likely to be notice in schools and there are a lot of good coaches.

 

[WhoWee]

Supposedly to do with average muscle mass, the same thing that makes you a good 100m sprinter makes you sink.

Are you saying white people are fat?

 

[lisab]

Are you saying white people are fat?

Fat is buoyant...like a built-in life vest .

 

[Equate]

And white people swim faster.

And know how to play hockey.

 

[Equate]

I was talking with a coworker about this a little while ago. He's black, and is a good swimmer. I asked him why there are so few blacks on swim teams. He said that the biggest reason is hair styles. They can take a lot of time and money (straightening, braiding, etc.), and swimming totally ruins them.

So there may be reasons for this observation that have nothing to do with actual swimming ability.

Hair styles. Talk about priorities. Hair styles.

Think about it...

 

[lisab]

And know how to play hockey.

Well let's look at it this way. It's a fact that *most* Americans can't play hockey, and those who can usually come from the Northern states like Minnesota, where it's more a more popular sport. The population density of black Americans is small in Northern states...well then, it's no surprise that there aren't a lot of blacks playing hockey in America.

Just as an observation - I don't see a big difference in body types between hockey players and, say, boxers. Both sports favor big, strong bodies that are quick.

 

[lisab]

Hair styles. Talk about priorities. Hair styles.

Think about it...

How often do you swim?

 

[jobyts]

They can take a lot of time and money (straightening, braiding, etc.), and swimming totally ruins them.

Lisab, as a follow up, did you ask him how rarely he takes shower?

 

[Tobias Funke]

Hair styles. Talk about priorities. Hair styles.

Think about it...

Yeah, it's like their main priority isn't to spend several hours a day swimming! Ridiculous!

 

[lisab]

Lisab, as a follow up, did you ask him how rarely he takes shower?

Actually that's what started the conversation...I asked him about corn rows, can you shampoo them in place? The answer was no, you can't get them wet, they "frizz out". It's the same with the straightened hair style, getting it wet will return it to its natural (kinky) state.

He, btw, showers daily and has neat, short hair, it its natural state.

 

[mgb_phys]

I asked him about corn rows, can you shampoo them in place? The answer was no, you can't get them wet, they "frizz out".

Isn't there a 100m - little old lady, swimming very slowly, not getting your hair wet - event in the olympics then?
Seriously I saw one swimming with her glasses on!

 

[Equate]

How often do you swim?

Daily. (During the summer, while the pool is open.)

I'm actually heading there right now. I'll just float on my back and look at the stars.

So relaxing.

 

[turbo]

When I was in HS, I could break into the 11's in the 100 yard - not the 100 meter. The meter was the box on the side of your house that told how much electricity you used. I was a distance runner with good stamina, but in a short run, the explosive muscle and anaerobic performance short-term made for pretty good times.

Sad part: my graduating class was the largest in the history of the school at 42, and we couldn't afford to field a track program. There were some pretty tough farm-boys that could have done well.

 

[WhoWee]

Well let's look at it this way. It's a fact that *most* Americans can't play hockey, and those who can usually come from the Northern states like Minnesota, where it's more a more popular sport. The population density of black Americans is small in Northern states...well then, it's no surprise that there aren't a lot of blacks playing hockey in America.

Just as an observation - I don't see a big difference in body types between hockey players and, say, boxers. Both sports favor big, strong bodies that are quick.

Let's not forget that the white people are better insulated (the fat thing again).

 

[Phrak]

Well, shame on you, Iblis To make the suggestion among the hyper-hysterical whites in America, circa 1988, that something like race had anything to do with athletic ability, would earned you social defame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Snyder"

“The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way — because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs. This goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trading, the owner — the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid.”

Nevermind Snyder's rambling misconceptions. I am such aghast and beside myself.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I once saw this marathon run break down. They showed the beginning of the run annd about all you could see were a bunch of big buff white guys and women. Then they showed the end of the race... about a dozen skinny little ethopians came bounding in across the finish line before the first white guy.

Supposedly to do with average muscle mass, the same thing that makes you a good 100m sprinter makes you sink.

A SCUBA diver friend of mine once told me that black people tend to have a higher muscle and bone density which makes them negative boyant. This is supposedly why the Navy didn't allow blacks to dive for years, because everyone knew that "n*****s can swim".
Not true ofcourse. All they had to do was adjust the weight system to compensate but I guess it was just easier to be racist.

 

[drankin]

I once saw this marathon run break down. They showed the beginning of the run annd about all you could see were a bunch of big buff white guys and women. Then they showed the end of the race... about a dozen skinny little ethopians came bounding in across the finish line before the first white guy.


A SCUBA diver friend of mine once told me that black people tend to have a higher muscle and bone density which makes them negative boyant. This is supposedly why the Navy didn't allow blacks to dive for years, because everyone knew that "n*****s can swim".
Not true ofcourse. All they had to do was adjust the weight system to compensate but I guess it was just easier to be racist.

I read a book that the author, an old school Navy Seal, came back to document a recent class of Seals going through BUD/S training, class 228. There was a single (extraordinary) black man that made it through "Hell Week" and graduated in this class. He states that it is very uncommon for black men to successfully complete training. Out of 157 men of all races that enlisted in this class, 20 made graduation. He said that it is uncommon for black men to graduate because they tend to have more upper body mass and cannot swim as effectively. Navy Seal training requires excessive swimming in extreme conditions, of course. The book is, "The Warrior Elite", Dick Couch. Great read. There are general racial attributes that tend to favor particular physical activities. It's an unpolitically correct fact.

We're all human beings with general strengths and weakness that tend to follow our race and gender. To ingore it is racist/sexist, IMO.