Son like father?

[Brutal]

Ever noticed we rarely see any of the great track athlete's have successful children in track and field. I mean you'd think there would be a few Tommie Smith Jr's or Randy Matson Jr's out there once in awhile.I know there have been a few like Charles and Chip Jenkis and Lennox and Inger Miller but ya got admit it we just don't see much of it........why?

[hj197steve]

Re: Son like father?

michael carter's daughter is doing pretty good !

[MJD]

Re: Son like father?

I know there have
>been a few like Charles and Chip Jenkis and Lennox and Inger Miller but ya got
>admit it we just don't see much of it........why?

This article about Pistol Pete's son might provide some insight. Part of it is probably the pressure of living up to your parent's rep.

"In a life inspired yet tortured by being the son of the late NBA Hall of Famer "Pistol" Pete Maravich, Jaeson's anxiety over living up to his family name keeps him awake."

http://www.iht.com/articles/130269.html

[kuha]

Re: Son like father?

I believe geneticists would describe this as "regression toward the mean." The odds are against the offspring of exceptional athletes being equally exceptional.

[Pego]

Re: Son like father?

Since other sports are being entertained, what about the Mannings, Pat Richter (football), Mike (hockey), the Holík's (father Jarda, son Bobby), the Hull's? This is just off the top of my head. By and large, Kuha is right, an exceptional athlete (author, performer, scientist) is hard to match.

[MJD]

Re: Son like father?

>the Hull's?

Not the best example:

"On April 3, Dallas Stars right wing Brett Hull scored his 610th career goal against Calgary, thus tying his father’s record for ninth place on the career list."

http://www.psacard.com/articles/article2370.chtml

[Slowrunner]

Re: Son like father?

I also suppose that since track & field is sport of such basic skills (running, jumping, throwing) and the talent pool is so vast, it's difficult for offspring to achieve success of their parents.

In other sports, it is not unusual to see parent/child combinations (baseball especially). How many 2-generation track Olympians have their been?

Miller - Lennox & Inger
Vilhjalmur Einarsson (56 TJ silver) & Einar Vilhjalmsson ('84 JT)

Rafer Johnson's daughter competed in beach volleyball in 2000.

who can add to the list? There are numerous examples in other sports...

Sheas - Jack (32 SPDS), Jim (64 NORD) Jim (02 SKEL)
Leander Paes, IND (96 tennis bronze) both his parents competed in 1972 (where he was conceived).
Martin Brodeur, CAN - Sr & Jr - Hockey goalies in 1956 & 2002.
Yuka Sato, JPN - FGSK (92 & 94) both parents competed in figure skating at the Olympics.
Diane Holum, USA SPDS (68 & 72 - gold 72) daughter Kirsten competed in 1998.
Andre Agassi, USA (tennis gold '96), father competed in 1948?

[hijumpsteve]

Re: Son like father?

Bobby Bonds was a very fine baseball player, but son Barry was far better.

[MJD]

Re: Son like father?

>Bobby Bonds was a very fine baseball player, but son Barry was far better.

I'm not touching that one...

[The King]

Re: Son like father?

Willie White and Kelli White (father and daughter)

[noone]

Re: Son like father?

How about the Nemeth's? Father won HT gold in 48, son JT gold in 76.

[marknhj]

Re: Son like father?

>>This is just off the top of my head. By and large, Kuha is right, an
>exceptional athlete (author, performer, scientist) is hard to match."

Here's a few off the top of my head:

Evelyn Waugh - Auberon Waugh
Kingsley Amis - Martin Amis
Ravi Shanka - Nora Jones
Bob Dylan - Jakob Dylan
Winston Churchill - Winston Churchill
George Bush - George W. Bush (hopefully same tenure...)

[tafnut]

Re: Son like father?

There's a big difference as to whether it's nature or nurture. I believe in the 'regression to the mean' in cases of pure genetic ability - speed, strength, endurance - but in sports where acquired skills are important e.g. quarterbacking, then the cross-generational carryover can be more pronounced. The Manning boys may or may not have as much 'talent' as dad did, but his 'education' of them in football has been A+.

[Cyril]

Re: Son like father?

Yes, Kuha is correct - exceptional genetics are typically an anomally. We do see more athletic family trees in skill sports - there is more room for genetic error that can be made up by practice, psychological consideration etc. World class t&f requires such phenomenal physical genetics that to hit the genetic lottery twice in consecutive generations is very rare.

But a couple that haven't been mentioned include -Waltons (Luke and Bill), Chapas (Rudy, Juaquinne)-and there was a kid here is So. Cal. last year Babiraki (4:11) dad was a very good (28 10K) in the 80s.

I think if we look at the next level down (very good hs and college) we would see many more. Truely world class athletic genetics is an abberation.

[kuha]

Re: Son like father?

Tafnut: That's very true. Skills and passion can be imparted from one generation to the next; pure physiological ability can't.