Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?

[Jangle]

Published: Monday | June 22, 2009


Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

The fastest man alive Usain Bolt (left) who is featured in the documentary 'Why Jamaicans Run So Fast?' alongside the film's producer Fernando Garcia-Guerta. - Contributed
With a 'little feeling' that something big was going to happen at the 2008 Olympics in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Beijing[/COLOR][/COLOR], China, Spanish music producer Fernando Garcia-Guereta shifted gears from the studio and on to the track with his debut documentary Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Filming[/COLOR][/COLOR] months before the Olympics and continuing the journey from Beijing and back, the 61-minute documentary is the only non-American film nominated at this year's American Black Film Festival.
It is one of three films nominated in the documentary category at the festival, which is slated from June 24-27 in Miami [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Beach[/COLOR][/COLOR], Florida.
Garcia-Guereta strives to find the answer to Jamaican athletes' speed in the film and in the process, beautifully captures the spirit and zeal of Jamaicans.
Loving the jamaican culture
The owner of Nice Time Productions, a music label and film production company in Portland, Garcia-Guereta said he fell in love with Jamaica at the tender age of 15 when he heard reggae legend Bob Marley for the first time. His love for his second home and its people drove him to document one of the nation's greatest achieve-ments - a record 13 Olympic medals, including six golds.
In a phone interview with The Gleaner as he travelled from his home in Portland, Garcia-Guereta commented, "The documentary came about from me being involved with supporting the children's sports programmes. I love track and field and the Olympics was coming around and I never expect it to do so well, but I knew something was going to happen."
After making an overseas call to director Miquel Galofré, the two followed the sport from July of last year with the National Trials, through to the Olympics while in Jamaica and awaiting the athletes as they returned to the Norman Manley International [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Airport[/COLOR][/COLOR].
As the athletes wowed audiences each week, the two filmmakers hit the streets, capturing the reaction of the public and interviewing a wide array of persons, including Yendi Phillipps, Lisa Hannah, Big Youth, Etana, Vybz Kartel, LA Lewis, Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt and his family, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Melaine Walker and her family, Shericka Williams, as well as Bruce James and Glen Mills.
What is the formula?

Jamaica's 4x100m relay team (from left) Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, Usain Bolt and Michael Frater celebrate winning the final and breaking the world record at the Beijing Olympics in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]China[/COLOR][/COLOR] last year. - File
As the name suggests, the documentary tries to discover the 'formula' behind why Jamaicans run so fast and Garcia-Guereta said he received a wide range of answers from the athletes, artistes, doctors and the layman who had some funny responses.
However, Garcia-Guereta said that the documentary highlights the many schools sports programmes as the reason and not the theories of yam consumption and sprinting from gun shots.
"Everybody is asking why Jamaica, as such a little country and reach so far, unlike America where they have their big stadiums and fancy doctors," he said. "But I think the main answer is from school competitions. We looked at how the athletes started running, how difficult it was for them and how some had to walk to training each day to try to make it into a big track star. How strong the culture in schools is and the competition among students of who is better than who and the readiness to compete."
Outside of the obvious wins at the Olympics, music forms an important part of the film with a soundtrack boasting artistes such as Etana, Big Youth, Desmond Dekker, The Heptones, Malijah, Queen Ifrica and Bob Marley.
Musical interludes
According to Garcia-Guereta, he did his best to find songs that suited perfectly each moment, thus when making the long journey to Trelawny to talk with Bolt's parents The Heptones' Country Boy plays in the background. As Bolt makes his triumphant run past the finish line, Bob Marley's Bad Card plays with the apt line "dem a go tyaad fi si mi face."
Garcia-Guereta also hopes the line will apply to his work as well and was nothing but excited about the upcoming festival in Miami.
"I know nothing about American culture or music and here I am going to their awards," he said. "I know the film is pretty, but I really never expected this. If they are fair, then I will win because the trailer for the film has been getting an amazing response on YouTube, more so than the other two entries and I hope I will get the support of the Jamaicans living in Miami. The most important thing is that my next documentary on dancehall will also become a trademark of Jamaica."
The producer's next docu-mentary on dancehall music is titled Hit Me With Music. Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast? premiered on Spanish television station Canal (plus) in January. It also marked the opening of the Kingston On The Edge Urban Arts Festival at the Redbones the Blues Café in St Andrew last Friday.

[Jangle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vnYnvrjECc



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Jgq...eature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNh7y...eature=related

[Historian]

Bing! That's It!

What is the formula?
However, Garcia-Guereta said that the documentary highlights the many schools sports programmes as the reason and not the theories of yam consumption and sprinting from gun shots.

"Everybody is asking why Jamaica, as such a little country and reach so far, unlike America where they have their big stadiums and fancy doctors," he said. "But I think the main answer is from school competitions. We looked at how the athletes started running, how difficult it was for them and how some had to walk to training each day to try to make it into a big track star. How strong the culture in schools is and the competition among students of who is better than who and the readiness to compete."

It took a while before it dawned on me that some people actually believed the media-led hype about Bolt and yams!! (Bolt’s girlfriend expressed some surprise as well that people actually thought that yam was the reason for Bolt’s success.)

All black people in the Americas were transported here by way of the so-called Middle Passage, and the point of origin for everyone was the same: West Africa. Not East Africa or North Africa or Southern Africa, but rather, West Africa!

It follows, therefore, that Jamaicans do not have natural performance-enhancing qualities that, say, Barbadians, Grenadians and St Lucians lack. All the blacks in these countries were transported from the same place of origin. Using this logic, it follows, therefore, that the overriding difference, as the article above points out, is the emphasis on sprints that is a prominent feature of Jamaica’s high school system, and which makes Boys & Girls Championships the amazing junior success it is.

[Islandman]

Lets ask the folow-up question : why do West Africans and thier recent descendants run so fast?

[Gamma]

c'mon historian, in one fell swoop you have dealt the jamaica yam industry a significant blow!

do you have any idea what the prospects for the yellow yam industry was befor your Likkle expose? cho man...!!

[Historian]

Good Follow-up Question!

Lets ask the folow-up question : why do West Africans and thier recent descendants run so fast?

You got me with that one, boss ! But it is a good question indeed, and one that I would like to see answered somewhere.

I’m wondering, though, if Blacks from East and Southern Africa are not, theoretically, as fast as the West Africans and that the difference in emphasis and interest isn’t a cultural one? (I’m not mentioning North Africa here because that part of the African continent, which includes states like Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, etc., has comparatively few blacks.)

What I’m saying here is that the East Africans (the Kenyans and the Ethiopians) seem to emphasize middle and long distance events. Is it that West Africans (who make little international impact on distance running) prefer the shorter distances while East Africans (and to some extent North Africans in the case of Moroccans) favor distance events? Also noteworthy is that other East African nations make no impact whatsoever on either middle distance or long distance, thereby suggesting cultural reasons why the Ethiopians and the Kenyans are so absolutely dominating.

c'mon historian, in one fell swoop you have dealt the jamaica yam industry a significant blow!

do you have any idea what the prospects for the yellow yam industry was befor your Likkle expose? cho man...!!

LOL Gamma! The truth is that Bolt’s girlfriend beat me to it when she queried this yam issue, pointing out Bolt’s greater fondness for things like pork and dumplings (if my memory is correct here)!

[Gamma]

there is a difference in build between the somali and ethiopians, even the kenyans and the ghanians and nigerians , e.g.

[Jangle]

Again that could easily be traced to a difference in their diets. I know for a fact that Ghanians love yellow yam.

[Islandman]

That is a theory worth considering The problem with it is that it only considers the groups and cultures presently living in Africa.

Things get really iteresting when you expand that to the rest of the world. I would probably be on the conservative side if I estimate that over 90% of the fastest 100 men in history are of West African descent. For the fastest 100 times in history it is probably closer to 99%. And these men were born and raised in various countries The women of West African descent are not nearly as dominant, but if the druggists were eliminated it would be interesting t see what the stats would look like.

Anyway, its a discussion we have on this forum at least once a year, it is usually a lot of fun with people as always having varying opinions on. Physical differences based on race and geography is a controversial issue because of how it has been used to exploit peopel throughout history so the topic usually reveals some interesting perspectives.

I did not remember ever reading your take on it, which is why I asked.

[Islandman]

And Black Americans love cornbread which is a similar color. Maybe it is something to do with that?

Just joking!!!

[Gamma]

"Anyway, its a discussion we have on this forum at least once a year, it is usually a lot of fun with people as always having varying opinions on. Physical differences based on race and geography is a controversial issue because of how it has been used to exploit peopel throughout history so the topic usually reveals some interesting perspectives."


is it that time of the year again? my how time files!

[Historian]

Never Ever Saw This Topic Before

The women of West African descent are not nearly as dominant, but if the druggists were eliminated it would be interesting t see what the stats would look like.

Anyway, its a discussion we have on this forum at least once a year, it is usually a lot of fun with people as always having varying opinions on.

I did not remember ever reading your take on it, which is why I asked.

You never read my take on it simply because I have never been a part of such discussion (lol)! I wasn’t aware that this topic had ever been discussed here on the forum, as it’s the first time I’m seeing this subject touched on.

Regarding the women, inside the societies of West Africa they have most likely not been as dominant because of cultural limitations. The countries of West Africa tend, to a great extent, to be still chauvinist, male dominated societies, and so women in those societies were not as liberated as early as their North American or European counterparts. Even today, if you speak to, say, a Nigerian or Ghanaian immigrant, you will see underlying sexist attitudes. Thankfully, that is apparently changing slowly.

Outside of West Africa, however, is where you’re probably a bit incorrect, at least as far as the short sprints are concerned. Going back to the 1980s until now, we see that Black women have dominated the sprints to the extent where in last year’s Beijing Olympics, there was not a single Caucasian woman in either the 100-meter or 200-meter dash. Things were different in the 400-meter race and above, but in the short sprints we have to admit that Yuliya Nesterenko of 2004 Olympic Games fame was an aberration then, is still an aberration today! Others, such as Kim Gaevert, etc., are not likely to be winning major 100 and 200-meter race gold medals anytime soon, if ever again!

[Islandman]

Interesting observations Historian. It does seem as if the ladies of West African descent have been more dominat than I thought in recent times. I guess my memory was clouded by those East Germans of the 80s who robbed our lovely Merlene so many times!

Anyway, here is one of many forum discussions from the past.

http://www.reggaeboyzsc.com/forum1/s...612#post113612

[Bruce]

Why do Jamaican WOMEN run so fast?

Because they must run away from Jamaican men.

[Time]

Because the national pastime is chasing gays!

Published: Monday | June 22, 2009


Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

The fastest man alive Usain Bolt (left) who is featured in the documentary 'Why Jamaicans Run So Fast?' alongside the film's producer Fernando Garcia-Guerta. - Contributed
With a 'little feeling' that something big was going to happen at the 2008 Olympics in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Beijing[/color][/color], China, Spanish music producer Fernando Garcia-Guereta shifted gears from the studio and on to the track with his debut documentary Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Filming[/color][/color] months before the Olympics and continuing the journey from Beijing and back, the 61-minute documentary is the only non-American film nominated at this year's American Black Film Festival.
It is one of three films nominated in the documentary category at the festival, which is slated from June 24-27 in Miami [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Beach[/color][/color], Florida.
Garcia-Guereta strives to find the answer to Jamaican athletes' speed in the film and in the process, beautifully captures the spirit and zeal of Jamaicans.
Loving the jamaican culture
The owner of Nice Time Productions, a music label and film production company in Portland, Garcia-Guereta said he fell in love with Jamaica at the tender age of 15 when he heard reggae legend Bob Marley for the first time. His love for his second home and its people drove him to document one of the nation's greatest achieve-ments - a record 13 Olympic medals, including six golds.
In a phone interview with The Gleaner as he travelled from his home in Portland, Garcia-Guereta commented, "The documentary came about from me being involved with supporting the children's sports programmes. I love track and field and the Olympics was coming around and I never expect it to do so well, but I knew something was going to happen."
After making an overseas call to director Miquel Galofré, the two followed the sport from July of last year with the National Trials, through to the Olympics while in Jamaica and awaiting the athletes as they returned to the Norman Manley International [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Airport[/color][/color].
As the athletes wowed audiences each week, the two filmmakers hit the streets, capturing the reaction of the public and interviewing a wide array of persons, including Yendi Phillipps, Lisa Hannah, Big Youth, Etana, Vybz Kartel, LA Lewis, Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt and his family, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Melaine Walker and her family, Shericka Williams, as well as Bruce James and Glen Mills.
What is the formula?

Jamaica's 4x100m relay team (from left) Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, Usain Bolt and Michael Frater celebrate winning the final and breaking the world record at the Beijing Olympics in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]China[/color][/color] last year. - File
As the name suggests, the documentary tries to discover the 'formula' behind why Jamaicans run so fast and Garcia-Guereta said he received a wide range of answers from the athletes, artistes, doctors and the layman who had some funny responses.
However, Garcia-Guereta said that the documentary highlights the many schools sports programmes as the reason and not the theories of yam consumption and sprinting from gun shots.
"Everybody is asking why Jamaica, as such a little country and reach so far, unlike America where they have their big stadiums and fancy doctors," he said. "But I think the main answer is from school competitions. We looked at how the athletes started running, how difficult it was for them and how some had to walk to training each day to try to make it into a big track star. How strong the culture in schools is and the competition among students of who is better than who and the readiness to compete."
Outside of the obvious wins at the Olympics, music forms an important part of the film with a soundtrack boasting artistes such as Etana, Big Youth, Desmond Dekker, The Heptones, Malijah, Queen Ifrica and Bob Marley.
Musical interludes
According to Garcia-Guereta, he did his best to find songs that suited perfectly each moment, thus when making the long journey to Trelawny to talk with Bolt's parents The Heptones' Country Boy plays in the background. As Bolt makes his triumphant run past the finish line, Bob Marley's Bad Card plays with the apt line "dem a go tyaad fi si mi face."
Garcia-Guereta also hopes the line will apply to his work as well and was nothing but excited about the upcoming festival in Miami.
"I know nothing about American culture or music and here I am going to their awards," he said. "I know the film is pretty, but I really never expected this. If they are fair, then I will win because the trailer for the film has been getting an amazing response on YouTube, more so than the other two entries and I hope I will get the support of the Jamaicans living in Miami. The most important thing is that my next documentary on dancehall will also become a trademark of Jamaica."
The producer's next docu-mentary on dancehall music is titled Hit Me With Music. Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast? premiered on Spanish television station Canal (plus) in January. It also marked the opening of the Kingston On The Edge Urban Arts Festival at the Redbones the Blues Café in St Andrew last Friday.

The main reason why Jamaicans are so fast is because the national pastime is chasing gays. Have you ever seen a Jamaican crowd chasing gays? Now when the chasers, the gays and those who don't belong in either group meet in competitive races then the standard is raised. Its evolution at work.