Two key textbook factors there:

1) All he thought about when he was young was sports

2) He went to a high school with a history of athletic success and some top coaches.

Posted By: JD3 on October 31st 2011 at 15:34:57

Message Thread

FAO SCC: Jamaican sprinting success is not due to genes, nor is Eth/Ken long-distance. (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 14:42:27
- a study done here (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:56:54
- and i did mean kenya not ethiopia earlier sorry (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:05:15
  - Same sityayshun in both countries. (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:08:27
    - yeah the altitude defo a factor (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:09:42
      - And the running huge distances as a child thing! (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:12:17
        
        that's not exclusive to those countries lol (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:14:25
        
        You'd make your child run 10 miles to school?! Unlikely! (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:18:30
        
        if that's what it takes (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:20:12
        
        you wouldn't do it (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:23:34
        
        yes because it wouldn't make a massive difference (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:24:49
        
        No - you'll have to move to high altitude for that too. Do it! (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:28:57
        
        yes i accepted altitude is a contributing factor (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:29:53
        
        but you'd need to have had a shag to prove this though (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 15:22:30
        
        you can artificially inseminate these days tbf (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:23:45
        
        get a room (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 15:17:07
- so why are around 494 of the top 500 100 metre times ever recorded (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 14:59:36
  - Because they were in athletics clubs and working out young while the rest were (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:03:27
    - Yes, there aren't ANY poor white people (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:06:25
      - Don't be a twat. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:10:53
        
        'Twat'. Hmm, I know it's in context but that word makes me cringe. (n/m) (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:11:39
        
        I would imagine it would. Personally I like twats. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:17:35
        
        Isn't your Mrs an official Twat-Minder? (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:20:40
        
        Ex-missus was indeed ! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:23:19
        
        ? (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:25:59
        
        "Only just" ? Felt like 50 years. LOL (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:31:08
      - not properly poor (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 15:09:00
      - Go on then, name one (n/m) (Other Sports) - Hertz van Rental, Oct 31, 15:08:20
        
        Michelle from Maidstone (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:22:56
        
        damn. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Hertz van Rental, Oct 31, 15:53:11
      - Not as likely to focus on sprinting. Perceived that they won't be as good. (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:07:57
        
        That's something of a high level generalisation, if I may say so (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:18:06
        
        You don't know that for sure. They've probably trained harder. (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:21:13
        
        Indeed, as I mentioned below: (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:11:37
  - But not West African! (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:01:59
    - lol what? (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:03:19
      - Because they train harder, from a younger age and are more motivated. (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:05:59
        
        yes of course they do! (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:07:54
        
        ... (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:08:41
        
        That's all for show! If you really think he hardly trains and eats lots of junk food.... (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:10:04
        
        Yes, but it's somewhat patronising to the white sprinters to say (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:21:34
        
        I'm sure they are motivated and train hard, just not as hard as some others. (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:26:27
        
        yes the first caucasian to break 10 seconds (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:28:57
        
        It proves that despite not having "West African genes" he's one of the top 8 sprinters.. (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:33:11
        
        i didn't say a white man couldn't be a top sprinter tbf (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:37:41
        
        "McNeil was occasionally frustrated by Bolt's lack of dedication to his training" (Other Sports) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, Oct 31, 15:27:55
        
        Two key textbook factors there: (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:34:57
        
        Neither of these two things has ever happened to a white boy, obviously (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:50:25
        
        So is it the Jamaican schooling system that is responsible for good sprinters? (n/m) (Other Sports) - Ken Dodds Dads Dog, Oct 31, 15:45:12
        
        1) All he thought about when he was young was sports (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:39:14
        
        you are deluded sorry! (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:14:57
        
        I bet Usain Bolt has trained just as hard, if not harder, than all other sprinters.. (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:19:23
        
        so natural talent doesn't matter? (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:22:04
        
        If you have any children then you'll have to test it! (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:27:51
        
        you are surely taking the piss here (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:33:55
        
        Are Asians more intelligent than white people? (n/m) (Other Sports) - phrankin, Oct 31, 15:41:28
        
        not that i'm aware either way (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:45:46
        
        Agreed (n/m) (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:15:28
      - I believe the correct internet vernacular is 'LOLWUT?' (n/m) (Other Sports) - Hertz van Rental, Oct 31, 15:05:06
  - In that New Stateseman article it says no white man has ever run sub ten seconds (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:01:25
    - Ah, not still true according to wiki (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:03:54
    - We should get a fucking move on then (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:03:50
    - Lemaitre became the first caucasian to do it. Also ran 19.80s for 200m (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:03:33
      - ah yeah, but France is quite close to Africa (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Oct 31, 15:05:26
- Link to the book; Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 14:49:59
  - This is a good read too (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:54:33
- Out of interest (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 14:49:49
  - and Darts players (n/m) (Other Sports) - Huge Small, Oct 31, 14:57:45
    - Arrers ! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 14:58:28
  - That one's easier to explain on social grounds (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:55:16
    - True (n/m) (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 14:56:38
      - no it isn't.... not according to some shit i copied off the internets (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 15:01:04
- Sounds an interesting book (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:48:58
  - exactly it's complete bollocks! (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:00:37
    - Your argument rests on an old Daily Mail article! (n/m) (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:02:37
      - no that was just one article on the subject (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:06:35
  - 200m - Konstandinos Kenderis (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 14:57:08
    - Errrr.... blatant drugs cheat. (n/m) (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 14:57:51
      - I seem to remember some Italian bloke won the 100m after Wells (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:59:42
        
        Wells won the world championship in '81 (Other Sports) - Ralf Scrampton, Oct 31, 15:03:48
        
        *tearful glow of patriotic pride* (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:05:27
        
        He won the 200m in 1980. (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:01:38
      - Yes, against other less blatent drug cheats (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 14:59:23
        
        Empirically debatable point (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:01:15
  - And additionally (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 14:56:23
    - donovan bailey and linford christie were born in jamaica (n/m) (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:01:50
    - The none ever from Africa point is a great one as the success is.... (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 15:00:18
      - plenty of decent nigerians (Other Sports) - SCC 28, Oct 31, 15:13:08
      - This is now going around in a complete circle! (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:03:56
        
        Isn't it a bit ludicrous to suggest otherwise? (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:05:36
      - Not really (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:02:00
  - Has a lot to do with background too. There is no sensible reason why the majority of (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 14:55:41
    - Yes (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:57:49
      - I know in context it is fine, OG, but "black boys" still makes me cringe (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:05:11
        
        But back to the point - I think it has become a pride thing as well for (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:09:20
        
        ? (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:07:52
        
        ... (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:13:34
        
        I know what Steve means though (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:11:58
        
        So Terry would have been fine had he pointed out that (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:16:48
        
        That is a different argument as OG mentions below (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:22:37
        
        Oh, I didn't realise "boy" was an insult (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:13:52
        
        Really ? Massive, massive insult. Try it in the US especially. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:15:31
        
        Ok, understood. (n/m) (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:17:51
        
        Possibly overthinking Steve's point to be fair (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:13:27
        
        No, he is spot on with my point (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:14:28
        
        Why? (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:06:21
        
        Did you read the whole post ? (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 15:13:05
        
        Or in a Southern drawl (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 15:19:04
        
        In what context would 'black boy' not be acceptible then? (Other Sports) - norway, Oct 31, 15:14:54
        
        Tone of voice? (Other Sports) - duke of york, Oct 31, 15:16:21
  - Motivation/sporting heroes/cultural forces? (Other Sports) - JD3, Oct 31, 14:54:55
    - No white man in the Olympic 100m final since Alan Wells!! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Old Git, Oct 31, 14:55:53
      - So ? There hasn't been a Scot either. (n/m) (Other Sports) - Steve in Holland, Oct 31, 14:57:27
  - sounds like you've carried out some pretty exhaustive research there old git (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 14:51:43
- ps, stop getting details wrong (n/m) (Other Sports) - pants, Oct 31, 14:45:07
- hoorah! (n/m) (Other Sports) - Tombs, Oct 31, 14:45:01

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