Islan: Finally, The Secret of Jamaica’s Runners

[Sir X]

How do Jamaicans do it? It’s not because of genetics, as some claim. A vast majority of Jamaicans’ ancestors are from West Africa, which has relatively few outstanding sprinters. Nor can genetics explain why Jamaicans outperform other blacks in the Americas, especially in Brazil, which has 36 times as many of them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/op...s-runners.html

[Sir X]

Its funny that he should mention our cultural preference on winning its to crush the opposition ....lol.....many of us are familiar with the term "drap out im tripe" or "run out im tripe" to mean let him chase until the opposition stomach hurts in his defeat ,thrown in kids faces as a child.

But what of the reaction of the defeated child to ask for a re race ..lol,speaks to our culture of never admitting defeat.

Champs was bound to be wrapped in our culture.

[Islandman]

8 finalists, how many West Africans?

Fast twitch rules!

[Willi]

Fying chests.

[Sir X]

Poverty and the hunger to get out of the ghetto rules

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0D2NGWOSwM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oly...emarkable.html


Pretty sure the africans have a similar story,cant say the same for those based in europe or the europeans in general.

[Islandman]

So is only people of West African descent experience poverty and hunger ? All when dem grow up inna Toronto and London?

That Palistinian youth was a good young sprinter though. Look like him give up the sport , haven't heard from him at all.

[Sir X]

You cant rule out the cultural dictates of poverty in both societies and the role sports play in that expression e.g Brazil I am sure you have a a large amount of caucasians or who can pass as such living in poverty ,not surpassing the african population and yet we see both express the cultural escape of poverty through sports in football.

You are a smart man ,stop being silly,Brazil is the ideal case study because of its racial distribution.Jamaica from the 1900s to late 50s had a similar pattern until white flight of poor and middle class weights.Our high school had said whites who competed and bested our african brothers in champs.

[Don1]

Jamaica's sprint success is MULTI-DIMENSIONAL. ....

.....NOT a zero sum/this or that phenomenon Based pon mi research over a couple years on dis subject fi one project....nuff experts consulted and interviewed

The dimensions:

1. An organic & very effective system of talent ID from preschool (just ask Cbar/KC)

2. Excellent to world class coaching knowledge virtually from 6-8 y.o. thru to seniors

3. World level competition from early junior thru grade school, high school & college/pro level

4. Professional and well run private clubs in the past 15 years....mostly focused on sprints...with brilliant coaching leadership

5. SUPER-supportive environment from fans, parents, community, schools, govt & private sector...all of whom are sprint focused & knowledgeable

6. Yes....burning desire to escape poverty thru track...whether via scholarship/education

7. The African fast twitch musculature conveying a predisposition for speed. ...There's zero doubt in the science nor in the empirical evidence (note this does NOT preclude outliers having occasional sprint success)

8. A diet rich in dense, high energy, natural carbs...esp in kuntry

Many nations have SOME of these features. Only JA has ALL. For example the US is lacking in items 1,2,3 & 8. There is little focus on track early on and di yute dem nyam tuh much fake Babylon food

The bottom line is passion, hard work, combined with knowledge. ...backed up by some physical advantages

That's why we pipsqueaks can compete with the giants....and lately dominate or rather Jaminate dem

[Islandman]

That sums up the Jamaican phenomenon well.

What is quite clear is that at the individual level, if you are not of that fast twitch gene pool your odds at becoming a top class sprinter is greatly increased. As it turns out West Africans and their descendants have it in spades .

[Time]

How do Jamaicans do it? It’s not because of genetics, as some claim. A vast majority of Jamaicans’ ancestors are from West Africa, which has relatively few outstanding sprinters. Nor can genetics explain why Jamaicans outperform other blacks in the Americas, especially in Brazil, which has 36 times as many of them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/op...s-runners.html

Also add that Jamaica had 76 years of gene pool refinement and concentration in Maroon towns starting with the first life and death sprint to freedom in 1655. The fastest slaves escaped the planation and the fastest of the fastest engaged the British in hit and run warfare until the peace treaty. All this while the British shot the slowest who they could catch.

[Don1]

That sums up the Jamaican phenomenon well.

What is quite clear is that at the individual level, if you are not of that fast twitch gene pool your odds at becoming a top class sprinter is greatly increased. As it turns out West Africans and their descendants have it in spades .

I'm sure you mean "decreased"

Anyway I thought that (KC alum) Orlando Patterson's piece was interesting and thoughtful. But it's clear he's been divorced from the JA scene too long in that he missed some factors. Also he ignored some science info

[Don1]

Also add that Jamaica had 76 years of gene pool refinement and concentration in Maroon towns starting with the first life and death sprint to freedom in 1655. The fastest slaves escaped the planation and the fastest of the fastest engaged the British in hit and run warfare until the peace treaty. All this while the British shot the slowest who they could catch.

You speak of the natural and unnatural selection effects caused by Babylon oppression and cruelty. Well it started wayyyyy before we reached any plantation. Babylon has undertaken virtually ZERO research on these critical factors of their shitstem. I guess dem fraid.

* When Babylon looks for slaves he chooses the BEST & STRONGEST to pack away and ship...Why ship the frail or sickly? How else would Babylon get max value from its investment?

* The horrors of the Middle Passage meant that well over 50% of the slave cargo perished. Who survived? The strongest of the strongest

* Slave work is hard and slaves expensive to import. So Babylon organizes the strongest "bucks" to breed the best women. This was an organized system of breeding to generate the most viable labor force

The shitstem Babylon operated was actually quite brilliant....Babylon is a clever Vampiya...yesterday to today .

Suh dat must be watched 24X7X365.. cuz di Vampiya dem always up to suppn

[Sir X]

As it turns out West Africans and their descendants have it in spades,they sure do in # 6 & 8 , lets cast the net and say football where africans disproportionately compete with caucasians through that same escape route , yet we can see an even level of talent in athletic attributes in some cases.Is it an outlier or a case of uneven disproportionate distribution of poverty to escape it and the cultural focus of that gene on the T &F in Jamaica and African nations of disproportionate poverty ?

With so many variables listed by my brethren Don, it gives me more pause to laugh in the face of anyone that singles out the gene as the greatest factor.

[Don1]

As it turns out West Africans and their descendants have it in spades,they sure do in # 6 & 8 , lets cast the net and say football where africans disproportionately compete with caucasians through that same escape route , yet we can see an even level of talent in athletic attributes in some cases.Is it an outlier or a case of uneven disproportionate distribution of poverty to escape it and the cultural focus of that gene on the T &F in Jamaica and African nations of disproportionate poverty ?

With so many variables listed by my brethren Don, it gives me more pause to laugh in the face of anyone that singles out the gene as the greatest factor.

The genetics are outstanding factors in the significant (but incremental) advantages they generate.

Also all the other factors are "environmental" and can theoretically be replicated by ANY country... if enough effort is made.

Haven't heard of Babylon replicating fast twitch musculature. ...well not yet anyway

[Mosiah]

There are always the exceptions, the outliers, the pretenders.

Remember, a Chinese girl had the 100 yard world record about 40 years ago.

The Japanese looked like they were onto something couple decades ago.

Schippers look like she want to disprove something.

At the end of the day...