Why are there no black swimmers/cyclists?
Discussion
Don't know why but there was a black lady in the 4x100 relay heats last night.
BBC article from 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11172054
''Theories for low black American swimming rates
Propagation of incorrect scientific theories such as black people being much less buoyant
Historic factors going as far back as slaves not being allowed to learn to swim
Denial of access to pools in 1920s and 30s causing ripple effect to present day
Lack of municipal pools in predominantly black neighbourhoods in 1960s onwards
Perception of swimming as elitist or white sport. ''
BBC article from 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11172054
''Theories for low black American swimming rates
Propagation of incorrect scientific theories such as black people being much less buoyant
Historic factors going as far back as slaves not being allowed to learn to swim
Denial of access to pools in 1920s and 30s causing ripple effect to present day
Lack of municipal pools in predominantly black neighbourhoods in 1960s onwards
Perception of swimming as elitist or white sport. ''
Edited by billybob69 on Sunday 29th July 21:15
Edited by billybob69 on Sunday 29th July 21:16
At entry level - black people dont swim much for fun, so dont take their kids at anything like the rate white people do. No one becomes a great swimmer with parents that were behind them (at 5am every day driving them to the pool!) At higher levels the training requires huge time and money commitments from parents. In 100 years there will be plenty.
Why do northern Africans dominate middle distance running, east Africans dominate long distance running and west Africans dominate sprinting events?
A mixture of genetics,opportunity,environment and muscle fibre type is my guess.Same reasons may help to explain the lack of black swimmers.
A mixture of genetics,opportunity,environment and muscle fibre type is my guess.Same reasons may help to explain the lack of black swimmers.
A friend who studied sports science once explained to me that different races have different genetics which affect how many fast and slow muscle fibres and that which ever way round it is it makes black people very good at sprinting but less good at endurance. And most cycling and swimming events are endurance. Is there any truth or logic in that?
Adam B said:
A friend who studied sports science once explained to me that different races have different genetics which affect how many fast and slow muscle fibres and that which ever way round it is it makes black people very good at sprinting but less good at endurance. And most cycling and swimming events are endurance. Is there any truth or logic in that?
a) it's far more complex than that - SOME black people have better sprint genetics. and b) it's also far simpler, go to kids swimming lessons (my mother has coached swimming for 50 years) - black parents dont swim much so dont take their kids to lessons. As such there is a fa bigger pool (see what i did!) of white swimmers.Same as black basketball players in the US - are blacks better, genetically, at bball? maybe/maybe not.....but theres a zillion more trying to be the next kobe/lebron.
www.ishof.org/black_history/pdf/drowning.pdf
and as it turns out black people in the USA are significantly more likely to drown as a result.
and as it turns out black people in the USA are significantly more likely to drown as a result.
Adam B said:
A friend who studied sports science once explained to me that different races have different genetics which affect how many fast and slow muscle fibres and that which ever way round it is it makes black people very good at sprinting but less good at endurance. And most cycling and swimming events are endurance. Is there any truth or logic in that?
I take the original point re swimming, cycling etc. However Africans are superb distance runners - look at the Kenyans.
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