Reason for Jamaican sprint success?

[Alcyallen]

Imagine the early 50;s with the worlds top three 400m sprinters being Jamaicans. Yep, talking George Rhoden, Herb McKenley and Arthur Wint they won Olympic medals in the 100, 400, 800 and the 4x4 smashing the world record (200m Les Laing)

[Alcyallen]

Well there are far more (west African) blacks in the US than Jamaica.
There are more blacks in other Caribbean nations than in Jamaica.
There are FAR more West Africans in Africa than in Jamaica.
So that really doesn't explain Jamaican sprint success at all.

There are more stud sprinters in the USA than Jamaica.
What nations would that be?
We all know how screwed up Africa is

Simply a country where everybody had a relative who was a sprinter, and they care about being the fastest kid on the block.

[Jacksf]

Well there are far more (west African) blacks in the US than Jamaica.
There are more blacks in other Caribbean nations than in Jamaica.
There are FAR more West Africans in Africa than in Jamaica.
So that really doesn't explain Jamaican sprint success at all.

[Alcyallen]

It's always a strange talk because there is always somebody who just has to.....that's racist.....when actually it's; simply common sense. Hell, just open your eyes BOOM there is is.

Who can forget this...

https://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?video_id=74492

[Atticus]

Right....if only the Swedes appreciated sprinters more they would have a boatload of 9.8 guys.

??!!
My first statement was about Jamaica's "demographics, body-types or ethnic heritage of the population (West Central African)".

[jc203]

Read The Sports Gene by David Epstein. It is an interesting read overall and one chapter deals with the specific area within Jamaica where many of the great sprinters trace their family history.

[Conor Dary]

But you keep telling us T&F is dead in America.
Sprints are MUCH more appreciated, per capita, in Jamaica than the US, or China, or India, or Sweden!

Right....if only the Swedes appreciated sprinters more they would have a boatload of 9.8 guys.

[Peter Michaelson]

I grew up in central Cali, the sprint power around here was Edison HS in Fresno, down in LA it was Muir and Hawthorne, why.....over abundance of African American athletes. Here in the valley we had Olympic sprinters Leamon King Delano, Tommie Smith Lemoore, Lee Evans Madera, Maxie Parks Washington Union Fresno, all gold medalists, all African Americans.

My JC COS once had a great sprinter named Bill Cowings he was a Cali state HS 100/200 champ and the JC champ, yep, African American.

So anyone into track around here has been watching why things are like they are for a long time. Hell, Hanford had Ken Thomas, 400m stud Larance Jones out of Lemoore, fastest 400m kid in the nation Jerry White out of Corcoran. Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson and his Hall of Fame NFL bro Jim out of Kingsburg.

Crossrown rival Redwood had Milton Edwards, Augusta Brown and Greg Flenory, yep...you guessed it.

NFL cornerbacks are 100% African Americans, yep, all about speed.

John Teeters and Devin Quinn hold the American 100m record at 10.00 for non Afro Americans. TCU alone can fill 8 lanes with sub 10,00 sprinters.

Who in Jamaica didn;t grow up around some sprinter? Hell, it's a family thing....Mel & Mal Spence, Lennox & Inger Miller, Asafa & Donovan Powell, Michael & Lindel Frater, Don & Ray Quarrie, who isn;t related to a sprinter?

Where do all those speedy footballers come from, yep, Cali, Texas and Florida. the reason is obvious.

Tiny Trinidad has had more quality sprinters than the Middle East, USSR, Poland, Germany, Japan, China, Sweden, Greece, combined.

Wait, I thought the Frater brothers were the My Pillow Guys! ("Withdrawn, Your Honor!")

[Atticus]

there certainly is a strong cultural 'appreciation' of T&F in Jamaica. Popular renown and financial incentives are strong there.
Right...
Why compare with the puny US....China, India... billions! And no sprinters!
How many great sprinters has Sweden had!
I'll let you figure it out...

But you keep telling us T&F is dead in America.
Sprints are MUCH more appreciated, per capita, in Jamaica than the US, or China, or India, or Sweden!

[bobguild76]

No mystery, Jamacia's sprint dominance is due to genetics and culture.

Yes. Similar to Kenya and distance running. And I would reckon the culture part is more important. Genetics itself is only a foundation, one that can be stewarded or ignored when it comes to athletics.

[lonewolf]

No mystery, Jamacia's sprint dominance is due to genetics and culture.

[Alcyallen]

I grew up in central Cali, the sprint power around here was Edison HS in Fresno, down in LA it was Muir and Hawthorne, why.....over abundance of African American athletes. Here in the valley we had Olympic sprinters Leamon King Delano, Tommie Smith Lemoore, Lee Evans Madera, Maxie Parks Washington Union Fresno, all gold medalists, all African Americans.

My JC COS once had a great sprinter named Bill Cowings he was a Cali state HS 100/200 champ and the JC champ, yep, African American.

So anyone into track around here has been watching why things are like they are for a long time. Hell, Hanford had Ken Thomas, 400m stud Larance Jones out of Lemoore, fastest 400m kid in the nation Jerry White out of Corcoran. Olympic decathlon gold medalist Rafer Johnson and his Hall of Fame NFL bro Jim out of Kingsburg.

Crossrown rival Redwood had Milton Edwards, Augusta Brown and Greg Flenory, yep...you guessed it.

NFL cornerbacks are 100% African Americans, yep, all about speed.

John Teeters and Devin Quinn hold the American 100m record at 10.00 for non Afro Americans. TCU alone can fill 8 lanes with sub 10,00 sprinters.

Who in Jamaica didn;t grow up around some sprinter? Hell, it's a family thing....Mel & Mal Spence, Lennox & Inger Miller, Asafa & Donovan Powell, Michael & Lindel Frater, Don & Ray Quarrie, who isn;t related to a sprinter?

Where do all those speedy footballers come from, yep, Cali, Texas and Florida. the reason is obvious.

Tiny Trinidad has had more quality sprinters than the Middle East, USSR, Poland, Germany, Japan, China, Sweden, Greece, combined.

[Conor Dary]

there certainly is a strong cultural 'appreciation' of T&F in Jamaica. Popular renown and financial incentives are strong there.

Right...

Why compare with the puny US....China, India... billions! And no sprinters!

How many great sprinters has Sweden had!

I'll let you figure it out...

[Trickstat]

There are cultural differences between Caribbean nations. Cricket and soccer have relatively higher importance in the rest of the Caribbean than in Jamaica.

I think you're right there. Smaller countries like Antigua and Barbados may have produced more top cricket players than Jamaica while their soccer team tends to always have some British-born players who qualify through their ancestry.

[18.99s]

And if there are some cultural differences that are factors, why don't other Caribbean nations do better in the sprints?!

There are cultural differences between Caribbean nations. Cricket and soccer have relatively higher importance in the rest of the Caribbean than in Jamaica.