To wonder what Black athletes have....

[CrispyCod]

......that make them so superior in performance. It has to be genetic. I am in awe of them as they appear to glide effortlessly around the track. The Jamaican athletes are just wow! Their speed is just amazing.

But we are talking about it. Aren't we?

Your comment of - you whites etc is grossly offensive creighton. Racist much?

Nancy66 - of course they train hard and are good at what they do. That is true for any international athlete.

SGM - do you think that if Jamaican athletes/athletic associations decided they wanted to become world leaders at marathon, or Ethiopians at sprint they could? Why don't they? The answer can't be economic/poverty surely?

poor people do 'cheap' sports. rich people do 'expensive' sports. people are also funneled into the 'appropriate' sport for their group. as public schools have the best equipment and playing fields why don't they produce runners, weightlifters, whatever? why do they only appear to produce rugby players, rowers, riders? is is because these sports are socially acceptable and the others not?

poor people do 'cheap' sports. rich people do 'expensive' sports.

Economic poverty has been pointed out time and time again on this thread.

"can we ask why white people are genetically predisposed to winning rowing races? is it because they are lazy and used to sitting down all day?" I think the sensible answer to that comment, which did make me laugh is due to the fact that it is actually a bit niche and that it tends to be a bit of an oxbridge and public school tradition so i think that is an example of social reasons.

But yeah, i think you are right - perhaps we could win a remote control switching contest.

I am struggling to see racism. I truly am. I mean, the hair thing made me snort, it was that silly! My children swim all the time and I don't think I've ever heard them moan about their hair My husband shaves his head cos he can't be arsed with his hair (although he is hurtling towards 50 and that shiny scalp- aint no hair growing THERE I can tell you!). If someone wanted to be a swimmer and their hair was a faff, they could take a bloody razor to it!

There is discussion of the foulness that was slavery and discussion of that - is that racism?
There was speculation that different people have evolved in different ways, based on the conditions that they live in - racism?
There was a theory that different body types and different body shapes are better suited to different types of sports - racism?
and my husband's joke about the lions, of course - is he racist against himself?

now, these theories may not be correct, but that doesn't make them racist. It isn't racist to discuss evolution, body types, diversity, a body type being better suited to one thing over the other.

There may be ignorance. There may be ill thought out theories that have no scientific merit, there may be those that do. But I don't get any sense that anyone is saying that anyone is better than anyone else. Just different.

There is valid academic/medical research available on this subject and in regards to genetics/genetic preposition/capability.

Until you know what genetics a person is carrying, you cannot discuss it.

The television programme 'So who do you think you are?', showed that physical appearance doesn't always correspond to our DNA and who we are most genetically linked to, though.

Long term testing and research is shied away from, because it can take us towards human engineering.

There is an awesome 8 year old black girl (with braids) in my sons diving class.

I have never seen such a body on a young child, he muscles are literally bulging. She is so fit, so flexible, and glides through the water like a dolphin, between dives. Not sure where her dad is from, but her mum is white, maybe she has inherited density and flotation from her.

-Quint

chip on the shoulder is like godwin's law, if a black person says something white people don't want to hear, then the chip jumps on the shoulder (with its fast twitch fibres).

i don't think michael johnson was right in his 'analysis' of sportsmen.

there are lots of casually written racist rubbish on this thread, my husband says.... my father in law says..... are you not ashamed to repeat this rubbish? you want me to feel ashamed of posting racist rubbish but none of you are.

The suggestion seems to be that if a black athlete out performs a white one then it must be because they have some unfair advantage - be it size, power, muscle density whatever.

Mo Farah won last night but his training partner Galen Rupp (white) came second beating plenty of other black athletes. They have the same trainer, train at the same camp and follow the same regime which is why they are both so good.

The athlete that wins is the best on the day. That's it.

Noone has answered my post re Black british athletes........

I was once told on here that a white person can't be victim to racism

And what vile remark?

Well it's probably a bit mean on his part , cos they're only asking, but he says it with a big grin on his face and he's clearly joking with them.

creighton - i think the "my father says" comments are to highlight said fathers ignorance on these matters. At least the comments i have read read that way.

What do you do you think though?

Anyone who wins a race could be argue to have an advantage over those who don't - they are just better at it!!

I am a big girl, i could never run a fast race (i do run, err, jog, galumph a bit, but SLOWLY), it is my build - (even when im not overweight) Does that mean that someone who is tall, long legged and of slim build should maybe have to give me a head start in a race because they have the advantage? Its not about saying folk have an unfair advantage.

inverted? you mean changed the word black to the word white?

who said black athletes were lazy?

"... it is actually a bit niche and that it tends to be a bit of an oxbridge and public school tradition so i think that is an example of social reasons."

In the UK, maybe.

But we (caucasian) Kiwis do alright in the rowing - we've won gold in several races, as we do at most Olympics, and believe me, there's no Oxbridge tradition here...