In discussing 'east Africans from a genetic and physiological standpoint we must differentiate between Kenyans and Ethiopians....who are two very distinct populations....Kenyans are basically a leaner version of west Africans for the most part...Ethiopians are a mix between Caucasian and protonilotics....a study on the ACTN3 gene showed its prevalence in kenyans to be similar to that in Nigerians while not so in Ethiopians.
Old thread but interesting. Learned something new today.
http://allthingskenyan.com/history/early-migrations-to-kenya
We have a world class Kenyan javelin thrower. World champion, third all time. Beat all the Europeans despite Kenyans all being 'skinny' and lacking the power to do anything but distance events as everyone here seems to think.
For me, this is clear evidence that any country could produce world class distance runners, sprinters, throwers, jumpers whatever. It's purely down to the individual, the training and the motivation not his or her skin colour.
Yes you are much more on point than anyone else so far in the thread. To sum it up very basically.. There are 3 main genetic linguistic and ethnic source populations in Africa. West African/Bantu. Nilotes. And Afroasiatics.
Bantu are a sub group of west Africans who in the Bantu expansion spread to most of Africa. They are the "typical" African most of the world recognises. Most of west Africa, central and south as well as parts of east. I think they are genetically best at sprinting.
Nilo Saharans are from the Nile valley only in east Africa. They include kalenjin who are about 80% of Kenyan runners. Typical ectomorph Kenyan runner body type.
Afroasiatics in Africa are generally mixed between indigenous Ethiopians/proto Nilotes and middle eastern to varying degrees. Ethiopians, Somali, Eritreans.
Some Bantu and Nilotic admixture is present in Kenya, as well as some some Afroasiatics (already mixed middle eastern and Ethiopian) and Nilotic admixture in both Kenya and Ethiopia.
I really think the sprinting in Kenya comes from Bantu genes. Nilotes are built for distance running and mixing with asiatics seems to have little effect on their ability because they also have quite a gracile build and retained the adaptions for living at altitude.
Lagat Fan wrote:
When I'm talking about East Africans, I'm talking about Pure East Africans like the Oromo, Tigray, Kalenji, etc. that dominate long distance racing. Can you even name one sprinter out of these ethnic groups that is even sub-11 seconds let alone sub-10 seconds? No, and you will never be able to because of their genetics and physiology. These people just aren't built for sprinting.
I have a strong feeling Rudisha and other Kenyan sprinters with potential have at least some West African admixtures.
Rudisha is Maasai. Maasai are Southern Nilotes like Kalenjin, but they live at a much lower altitude.
Distance running genes + lower altitude environment = best excelling at middle distances
This is what we see with the Moroccans and Algerians.
Let's not forget family genetics either.
Wikipedia:
"His father, Daniel Rudisha, is a former runner who won the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics as part of the Kenyan 4 × 400 m relay team, while his mother Naomi is a former 400 m hurdler."
West African / Afro-Caribbean distance runners:
Justyn Knight, whose who has a Barbadian father and Jamaican mother.
Kemoy Campbell from Jamaica
East African sprinters:
Both of David Rudisha's parents were 400 meter sprinters who made it to the Olympics. They are Masai people, who are closely related to the Kalenjin.
Sudan and Uganda have plenty of good sprinters.