Why Are All Fast Sprinters Jamaicans?

[Rockslinger]

Jamaican sprinters are so fast that Usain Bolt (the fastest human on the face of the planet) might lose the Olympic Gold Metal race to another Jamaican.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Lol!!!....

 

[rld]

Jamaican sprinters are so fast that Usain Bolt (the fastest human on the face of the planet) might lose the Olympic Gold Metal race to another Jamaican.

I can't think of another country that has produced any fast sprinters, certainly not Canada or the US...

 

[fun-guy]

Jamaican sprinters are so fast that Usain Bolt (the fastest human on the face of the planet) might lose the Olympic Gold Metal race to another Jamaican.

Yohan Blake beat him in both the 100 and 200 olympic qualifying for Jamaica so it'll be interesting. It appears Jamaica will be the favourite in the 4x100.

 

[needinit]

It's not the country (only 2 of the Top 10 fastest are from Jamaica), but most are black...(not a racist statement just a fact)...here is a copy of a study that explains why (and also considers why whites are most of the record holders in swimming, as well)...

Twenty-eight of the last 38 world record holders in the men's 100-meter dash have been black athletes, and researchers at two universities think they know why.

A new study by researchers at Howard University, a historically black school in Washington D.C., and Duke University in North Carolina suggests why black athletes may outperform athletes of other races in running events. Physical differences in the length of the limbs and the structure of the body mean the center of gravity tends to be higher in the bodies of black people, the researchers say.

Since 1968, the world record holders in the men's 100-meter dash have been black athletes. And since 1912, when the International Association of Athletics Federations started keeping track of the record holders in that event, only 10 non-black athletes out of 38 individuals have held the title.

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"There is a whole body of evidence showing that there are distinct differences in body types among blacks and whites," said researcher Edward Jones, who researches adolescent obesity, nutrition and body composition at Howard University. "These are real patterns being described here. Whether the fastest sprinters are Jamaican, African or Canadian, most of them can be traced back generally to Western Africa."

Why center of gravity matters

Although there are also cultural factors at work, it all comes down to body makeup, Jones said.

"Blacks tend to have longer limbs with smaller circumferences, meaning that their centers of gravity are higher compared to whites of the same height," said Adrian Bejan, Jones' co-author, an engineering professor at Duke University. "Asians and whites tend to have longer torsos, so their centers of gravity are lower."

"These differences are small, and we don't really see them when we look at someone," Bejan told Life's Little Mysteries. "We are only rarely struck by how long someone's legs are."

But these small differences certainly matter in races lasting less than 10 seconds, Bejan said.

The height of a person's center of gravity affects how fast his feet are moving when they hit the ground, Bejan said. Each step a runner takes is like falling except the athlete breaks the fall with his foot. So the feet of a person with a higher center of gravity will hit the ground faster than someone with a lower center of gravity.

Torsos and legs

In the study, the scientists gathered data available from the militaries of 17 nations. Militaries measure their recruits for uniform fittings and are a reliable source of data, Bejan said. To approximate torso length, the scientists compared the average height of the military men with their sitting height – the distance from a chair to the top of the head.

Results showed the average sitting height of blacks was about 1.5 inches (3 cm) shorter than that of whites who were the same height. This means that, among blacks and whites of the same height, the legs of blacks were longer (think of a high-waisted person), while the torsos of whites were longer.

This physical difference gives a black athlete an advantage, even against an athlete of another race is who is taller and has a higher center of gravity, said Bejan. From a physics perspective, Bejan said, the legs do the work of running and the torso of the body is just extra weight that the legs must carry, so the race goes to the runners with longer legs and shorter torsos.

By contrast, whites tend to have the advantage in swimming, where a longer torso allows for faster speeds.

"Swimming actually generates a wave. The sport is the art of surfacing on that wave. When the wave is bigger – because the torso is longer – they go faster," Bejan said.

The study was published online this week in the International Journal of Design and Nature and Ecodynamics.

 

[Thunderballs]

I have also heard something about the physiology of blacks is slightly different. Something about their hamstrings extend higher into their backs or something. Yes, I am too lazy/indifferent to provide citations to support this rumored hypothesis.

 

[blackrock13]

I have also heard something about the physiology of blacks is slightly different. Something about their hamstrings extend higher into their backs or something. Yes, I am too lazy/indifferent to provide citations to support this rumored hypothesis.

I had a friends back in the early 70's bring all these various physical attributes to the forefront in his dissertation and was told in very polite term, 'are you out of your mind, we can allow this in print'. In order to have it accepted, he had to massage the message big time and he was not a happy camper.

 

[fun-guy]

It's not the country (only 2 of the Top 10 fastest are from Jamaica), but most are black...(not a racist statement just a fact)...here is a copy of a study that explains why (and also considers why whites are most of the record holders in swimming, as well)...

Not only that but there's also a report that confirms white men can't jump.

 

[Rockslinger]

Not only that but there's also a report that confirms white men can't jump.

Also, a movie by the same name. Hee, hee, hee.

 

[Rockslinger]

It's not the country (only 2 of the Top 10 fastest are from Jamaica), but most are black...

Donovan Baily and Ben Johnson are of Jamaican descent even though they are Canadian. It must be their DNA.

 

[borntosoon]

Track and field, particularly the 100 metre dash, is as big in Jamaica as hockey is in Canada.

 

[Rockslinger]

Track and field, particularly the 100 metre dash, is as big in Jamaica as hockey is in Canada.

And baseball in the Dominican Republic?

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

Whatever race does best in whatever sport is usually determined by genetics. There's a reason why so many strong powerlifters come from Iceland, its because they stem from the old vikings who were very strong.

Jamaican sprinters are descendants from slaves who come from a particular corner of Africa which traditionally had tribes with very strong legs. These genetics are passed down through the generations, and thats why they produce so many fast sprinters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaicans_of_African_ancestry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa

 

[frankcastle]

Don't forget the Kenyan dominance of long distance running. And the black dominance of football and basketball.

Chris Rock does a great bit on this suggesting that breeding during slavery helped to create the NFL (n word fuckling large)

 

[Phil C. McNasty]

Again genetics are the reason why China wins so many table tennis championships. Chinese tend to be light and have quick reflexes. Perfect for ping-pong:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis

Also a tiny country like Holland (pop. 16 million) regularly beats countries in soccer which are much larger than they are. Again its genetics, their body types are perfectly suited for that sport. It helps in soccer if you think quick and can pass the ball around almost blindly. Not easy to do (see Spain)

 

[Bushpilot]

Track and field, particularly the 100 metre dash, is as big in Jamaica as hockey is in Canada.

Very true. Another factor: blacks in general have a greater perponderance of "fast twitch" muscle fiber than anyone else. This, coupled with its T&F culture, goes a long way toward explaining why Jamaica produces a disproportinately large number of great sprinters.

 

[spraggamuffin]

Chicks will agree it's the third leg.

 

[asterwald]

Longer legs.

Africa is home to some of the fastest running mammals. Long legs are a trait that evolves in hotter climates, like short limbs and a tall torso is a trait of colder climates.

Also called Allens rule.

 

[blackrock13]

Chicks will agree it's the third leg.

..... but wouldn't that actually get in the way? Just askin'.

 

[fun-guy]

..... but wouldn't that actually get in the way? Just askin'.

in the way of what? Depends what it's used for, I don't chicks would agree with you, lol.