Retired Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson believes there is a scientific reason that explains why so many of the top sprinters in the world are black. The four-time gold medalist, now a commentator for BBC, believes slave descendants have genes that make them superior athletes.
"All my life I believed I became an athlete through my own determination, but it’s impossible to think that being descended from slaves hasn’t left an imprint through the generations," Johnson said on a documentary called "Michael Johnson: Survival Of The Fastest," according to the Daily Mail.
"Difficult as it was to hear, slavery has benefited descendants like me – I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us."
According to the Daily Mail, some scientists support that notion. Their report states that only the fittest and strongest African people were picked to board the slave ships. Once aboard the ships, conditions were so terrible that only the strongest/healthiest/fittest people of an already select group survived. Additionally, the Daily Mail says some scientists believe that some slave owners selectively bred to create even stronger and more athletic people, which set the groundwork for dominant athletes decades later.
The documentary states that 14 of the 15 100-meter finalists at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing were descendants of slaves. Johnson is of West African descent, a DNA test confirmed.
The former "world's fastest man" recognizes this is a controversial subject matter, but that doesn't prevent him from exploring it.
"It’s a taboo subject in the States but it is what it is. Why shouldn’t we discuss it?" he wonders.
In 1988, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder posited that:
"The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way, because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs and he's bred to be the better athlete because this goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trade'n the big… the owner… the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid see."
He was fired in 1988 by CBS for the comments.
Below is a clip teasing the documentary, which aired last week on Channel 4 in the U.K.
Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Then by the same token whites can say that they were bread to be smarter, and that opens up a whole new can of worms. But at the same time, we don't excel at swimming, skiing, and a handful of other sports. And how about the black weaklings who can't play basketball or run even one city block?
Retired Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson believes there is a scientific reason that explains why so many of the top sprinters in the world are black. The four-time gold medalist, now a commentator for BBC, believes slave descendants have genes that make them superior athletes.
"All my life I believed I became an athlete through my own determination, but it’s impossible to think that being descended from slaves hasn’t left an imprint through the generations," Johnson said on a documentary called "Michael Johnson: Survival Of The Fastest," according to the Daily Mail.
"Difficult as it was to hear, slavery has benefited descendants like me – I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us."
According to the Daily Mail, some scientists support that notion. Their report states that only the fittest and strongest African people were picked to board the slave ships. Once aboard the ships, conditions were so terrible that only the strongest/healthiest/fittest people of an already select group survived. Additionally, the Daily Mail says some scientists believe that some slave owners selectively bred to create even stronger and more athletic people, which set the groundwork for dominant athletes decades later.
The documentary states that 14 of the 15 100-meter finalists at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing were descendants of slaves. Johnson is of West African descent, a DNA test confirmed.
The former "world's fastest man" recognizes this is a controversial subject matter, but that doesn't prevent him from exploring it.
"It’s a taboo subject in the States but it is what it is. Why shouldn’t we discuss it?" he wonders.
In 1988, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder posited that:
"The black is a better athlete to begin with because he's been bred to be that way, because of his high thighs and big thighs that goes up into his back, and they can jump higher and run faster because of their bigger thighs and he's bred to be the better athlete because this goes back all the way to the Civil War when during the slave trade'n the big… the owner… the slave owner would breed his big black to his big woman so that he could have a big black kid see."
He was fired in 1988 by CBS for the comments.
Below is a clip teasing the documentary, which aired last week on Channel 4 in the U.K.
Well isn't this interesting.
When a great number of runners have also been Kenyans who ancestors probably weren't slaves.
Slippery slope! Slippery slope! Then by the same token whites can say that they were bread to be smarter, and that opens up a whole new can of worms. But at the same time, we don't excel at swimming, skiing, and a handful of other sports. And how about the black weaklings who can't play basketball or run even one city block?
A teacher of mine said too me It was more about our skin something like.. We have less fat
A teacher of mine said too me It was more about our skin something like.. We have less fat
That was a terrible teacher. It's socio-economic and has to do with access to the activity. Black people who have been around water all their lives can usually swim quite well. As far as having less fat, have you taken a look at African-Americans lately? If that were the case, they should be some of the best swimmers in the US of A! Give that teacher an 'F'
I think racial and sub-racial physical traits play a role in athletic performance.
the lean east african type tends to dominate long distance running.....while the shorter stockier west african is better at short distance and quick sprints.
As for the slave breeding thing....the french must have been really bad at it...since haitians don't excel at any sports....lol...lol
I think racial and sub-racial physical traits play a role in athletic performance.
the lean east african type tends to dominate long distance running.....while the shorter stockier west african is better at short distance and quick sprints.
As for the slave breeding thing....the french must have been really bad at it...since haitians don't excel at any sports....lol...lol
Due to lack of funding,as opposed to trying. It takes, time, money and dedication to make it in any sports. It's hard to go running up and down a mountain when you are hungry.
Maybe but a lot of African countries are doing quite well in soccer, Ethiopians are also hungry but yet, they are able to run 4h with less equipment than us, North Americans.
