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?

[Kromovaracun]

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

It is.

And yes, I think the idea that West Africans have a superior athletic gene is fairly racist. It's not a new notion - it was one originally dreamed up by polygenists in the early C19 attempting to work out why blacks were innately 'savage'. So far as I know, there's no solid evidence whatever backing it up.

[sandyRoe]

Are the Kenyans who dominate marathon running from West Africa?

[andy-hughes]

I think the essence of racism is to denegrate a race by virtue of their ethnicity - I believe Mr Johnson is simply passing on what he perceives as being a biological fact, and that in my view is not a racist stance.

Negroes have black skin - fact - no racism involved.

Negroes are lazy feckless thieves - opinion - racist.

That to be is the difference in the two attitudes.

[L00fah100]

I would say that this is like the boxers "Trash talk" in a bid to spark controversy, shock and interest so in essence he's bringing himself into the spotlight in a deliciously fiendish way to self promote himself and his events.

"Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations (such as sports events), primarily in the US. It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit. Trash-talk is often characterized by use of hyperbole, or figurative language, e.g., "Your team can't run! You run like honey on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are commonly used."

[ludwig]

If it's true, caucasians must have a superior swimming gene.

[L00fah100]

Maybe ludwig, but which sport is more popular, boring swimming or the fire and brimstone of the heart racing poetry that is the sprint?

[Mattk]

Isn't there a case of 'only the strongest survived' during the slaving era?

Athletes are becoming taller and stronger so it makes sense to me that athletes of African descent are 'ahead of the game' so to speak.

[Brenden]

Tennis, with an abundance of white players - agree with Loo Michael Johnson is self promoting.

[FredPuli43]

It has logic to it, but not as a generalisation of all athletics. There is nothing simpler than running. Yet how many of the world's top 100m and 200m sprinters are white ? The events are dominated by people of black, West African, descent. Yet black shot putters are a rarity, and middle distance running has few top contenders who are of West African descent.

Swimming is almost as simple, and natural, yet none of the world's top swimmers are black.

There is just some inherited physical characteristic which gives an advantage in sprinting but also some inherited characteristic which is a disadvantage in swimming.

Of course it is not racist to say so. It's an observable and testable fact, even though rather broadly claimed by Michael Johnson.

[jake-the-peg]

He risks it - it certainly raises the spectre of Eugenics.

But his argument doesn't hold water

Adaptive genetics from Slavery?

So what about all the Ethiopian long distance runners then?

All the White swimmers?

Oh well that's cultural!

So African runners and White Swimmers are cultural but American Runners are genetic?

Right-O

I think he's about as good a scientist as Einstein was a sprinter!

[Zeuhl]

<'racist' for one race to consider themselves superior to others? >

Johnson is not 'considering' it at all - he is presenting the factual evidence that top flight sprinting is exclusively made up of people descended from slaves snatched from West Africa and has been since the time they gained access to facilities and training that allowed them to compete on your beloved 'level playing field'.

If their is another hypothesis other than a genetic advantage I'm sure we would all love to hear it.

If

[Zeuhl]

<So what about all the Ethiopian long distance runners then?
All the White swimmers?
Oh well that's cultural! >

Where does Johnson say that?

It is scientifically plausible that the physiology that makes an excellent sprinter makes a poor long distance runner or swimmer.

[Brenden]

Zeuhl, not snatched from West Africa - sold from West Africa by their own people.

[sandyRoe]

If he was correct wouldn't the fastest runners still be in West Africa? They would be the descendants of the people who would have made the speediest getaway from the slave traders.

[Zeuhl]

<<Zeuhl, not snatched from West Africa - sold from West Africa by their own people.>>

Ah, so the kidnapping was an 'inside job' then.

That's ok then.

For a minute there I thought buying human beings, trafficking them across the world against their will in life threatening conditions and then using them as forced labour for personal profit might have been wrong anyway.

When in fact the civilized christians were just helping out the slave trading savages.

Glad we got that cleared up Brenda

[ludwig]

There are physical differences that can't be ignored because of political correctness. For example there's a good reason why there are no world class japanese sprinters.

I can see cultural reasons for show jumping and tennis, but not swimming or cycling.

[cathfromsaron]

yes completely the same as eugentics!

but i hazzard a guess that the modern footwear and nutrition will help a bit too ...

[jake-the-peg]

Wow Zeuhl

That's a serious jump!

I could make the factual observation that Black American descendants of slaves are almost never found in World Cup football (soccer) sides.

Only a moron would argue that's genetic.

There are many countries that dominate certain sports

You can't jump from there to a racial link - cultural sporting tradition is just one major one.

I suggest you approach it from the other end

If there's a physiological advantage tied to race - let's hear it - flattened nostrils are more aerodynamic?

Give us a mechanism - otherwise it's just circumstantial at best

[cathfromsaron]

*of course there were collaborators in the collection and selection of slaves, that is a fact! doesn't make it right!

[jake-the-peg]

You can't see a cultural reason for swimming and cycling Ludwig?

Think about it

You're a young black American boy

Are you going to do athletics at school with your friends or swimming?