1 Billion and Counting

[michael lewis]

India 3:35.34;

Third at the Asian Champs, women's 4x4. Is this indication of some progress? Whenever India gets it together in terms of a track and field program the world better look out. Over a billion people there.

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

Billion people and 12 of them with enough to eat. India has a lot more "getting it together" in more important areas before it'll start cranking out enough athletes to be a powerhouse.

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

<Billion people and 12 of them with enough to eat. India has a lot more "getting it together" in more important areas before it'll start cranking out enough athletes to be a powerhouse.>

May be only 12 of them with enough to eat in your time, Rudyard. But when hundreds of thousands of jobs are "outsourced" to India, and soup lines grow longer in the USA (witness a recent "60 Minutes"), athletics will be forced to take a (real) back corner.

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

>Billion people and 12 of them with enough to eat.
>India has a lot more "getting it together" in
>more important areas before it'll start cranking
>out enough athletes to be a powerhouse.

India's income per person is actually higher than Kenya's, and is distributed more evenly. India's income per person is far, far higher than Ethiopia's. And the population of India is more than 25 times the population of Kenya, and almost 20 times the population of Ethiopia. That's a huge genetic pool. Sure, there are barriers to India's becoming a track power, but the African examples indicate that the main barriers are not economic.

And consider this geographic factor: there are far more Indians who live all their lives at more than 5,000 ft elevation than there are Ethiopians or Kenyans.

[BillVol]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

India has to be the most underachieving nation ever when it comes to athletics.

Now when the subject is roadside motels...

[Powell]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

>India 3:35.34;

Third at the Asian Champs,
>women's 4x4. Is this indication of some
>progress?

Guess again. The Indian female 400 runners have been around for a while - their national team actually ran 3:28.11 in 2000, and 3:31.55 as far back as 1987. I don't see much progress in their running 3:35.

[michael lewis]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

Thanks for that information, that's interesting. Would seem they need to rethink their program.

[viva voz]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

>India has to be the most underachieving nation
>ever when it comes to athletics.

True, but it is making strides. Anju Bobby George got long jump bronze in Paris. The athletics tradition isn't nearly as strong as in many other places, coupled with gender roles. George's medal may inspire others to take their game up a level.

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

"And the population of India is more than 25 times the population of Kenya, and almost 20 times the population of Ethiopia. That's a huge genetic pool."

That's a huge genetic pool, sure... but too bad those one billion people will have to share the three premium asphalt tracks in the entire country!

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

It's also a genetic pool completely lacking in Rift Valley distance genes or West African speed genes.

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

My last post didn't come out quite the way I wanted. The poor track facilities may not be that big of a deal. The one billion people is what bothers me. If more people are better, then would a country with 20 billion people have even bigger potential? Don't think so. You have to get to a point where it gets too damned crowded!

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

>My last post didn't come out quite the way I
>wanted. The poor track facilities may not be
>that big of a deal. The one billion people is
>what bothers me. If more people are better, then
>would a country with 20 billion people have even
>bigger potential? Don't think so. You have to
>get to a point where it gets too damned crowded!

The population density of India is considerably lower than the population density of New Jersey. Are you suggesting that New Jersey is too crowded to develop good track and field athletes?

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

If more people are better, then
>would a country with 20 billion people have even
>bigger potential? Don't think so. You have to
>get to a point where it gets too damned crowded!

I think a better analogy to what you are trying to express would be going from one thousand Volkswagens to one million Volkswagens isn't necessarily going to increase your chances of going faster than one hundred Ferraris dramatically.

(Not to be trying to raise the endless Jon Entine debate.)

[Guest]

Re: 1 Billion and Counting

>India 3:35.34; Third at the Asian Champs,
>women's 4x4. Is this indication of some
>progress? >>

Only if they're all incredibly young: Long Beach Poly ran 3:35.55 this year with a team that included a two juniors and a frosh!