Why do people think East Africans have a genetic advantage?

The current Olympic champion and world world champion in the steeplechase IS AN AFRICAN you moron. Africans have a genetic advantage in the steeplechase more than any other event. The stats do no lie.

Keep dreaming!!

Before I left my motherland, I had no idea how people hate black skin until I went to Europe and America!
For a country that was founded on Christian morals and values, it amazes me how America (some or many Americans) still judges somebody according to his or her skin color!
If anything, If God truly exist you guys will harshly be judged because you know better!

Talking about dominance, let me tell what East Africans, Ethiopians, Bantus people excel at! We are resilient people, humble (this is very important), hard working, strong willed and more importantly we fear God no matter how flawed we can be!

Doping has been an issue in Kenya with some runners but most of runners are clean as spring water! Ban Kenya if you want! Then Ethiopia, Somalia, Erithrea, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, East Congo, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia,South Africa will still reign! We are the same people!

Genetics may play one part, with the possible influence from other co-factors. From Yannis Pitsiladis in 2007:

Kenyan runners, and especially those originating from the Kalenjin tribe, have dominated international middle- and long-distance running for over 40 years, prompting significant interest in the factors contributing to their success. Proposed explanations have included environmental factors, psychological advantage and favourable physiological characteristics, which may be genetically conferred or environmentally determined. Running is inherent within local Kenyan tradition and culture, and the Kenyan way of life, which involves many outdoor activities and pastimes in addition to mostly unfavourable living conditions, is conducive to enhanced distance running performance. Despite economic deprivation, Kenya has produced world and international running champions repeatedly over the past few decades; these champions have become role models for the younger generations, who take up running in the hope of a better future for themselves. Favourable environmental conditions such as altitude, diet and anthropometry, in addition to the motivational and socio-economic factors mentioned above, have all been proposed as possible reasons for the unsurpassed achievements of Kenyan distance runners. However, the fact that the majority of internationally successful runners originate from a small tribe that accounts for approximately 3% of the total Kenyan population also points to a possible genetic component. Whether this is subject to influence from other co-factors, such as altitude or training effects acquired during childhood, remains as yet unresolved.

An intelligent, well written summary from a genetics expert.

Here is an interesting article that discusses several possible reasons for East African's dominance of distance running.

Being thin includes having skinny legs. And

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Anthropometric characteristics of top-class Kenyan marathon runners - PubMed

Top-class Kenyan marathon runners seem to have ectomorphy as dominant, with endomorphy and mesomorphy more than one-half unit lower. Despite population comparisons would be required to identify any connection between specific...

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than those of their European competitors, which translates to an energy saving of 8% when running.

Studies show that 1 ounce of shoe weight per shoe adds about 1 second/mile to pace. 400g/leg less weight would equate to about 13sec/mile or a theoretical 5 minutes for a 2:10 marathoner.

Look closely at the lower legs of elite marathoners. East Africans have, as a group, thinner ankles, thinner leg bones, and a relatively short and small calf muscle. That adds up to less weight to swing with each step.

Of course, there are other variables, but the thickness of bones and the shortness of calf muscles isn't trainable. It's genetic.

globalsportmatters.com

What Makes East Africans So Good at Distance Running?

Andrew Ramsammy

When it comes to marathons, diet, altitude and attitude are just some of the factors driving East African domininace at the distance.

Open link

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Despite your name, I strongly doubt you are from that country.

You are more like an African hater that comes from the country who you know.

Now look at Bekele's legs. Is he not the GOAT?

Sifan Hassan and Mo Farah probably account for half of Europe's distance medals over the last decade. Genetics do play a part - doping aside

Abdi Nageeye, Bashir Abdi, Moh Ahmed... all national record holders

The steeplechase is a running event with jumping barriers in it, a genetic advantage is one that is shown with scientific variables, not gold medals, doofus.

I’m very offended I have to prove my roots to user ooo la Layla oui oui on letsrun dot com.

East African genetic dominance is 100% a myth. The biggest quantity of drug busts in the 21st century in track and field had been from Kenya. Track and field doesn’t require many resources like football or hockey , in fact this is why third world countries win medals in track and field , especially distance running. Distance running requires talent and EPO to be at the top. Take away sports like futbol and you get the talented athletes focusing their attention on track and field.

I don’t have to be dreaming. There’s already an Olympic and world Champion in the 1500 and 5k who is of European stock. Who is getting offended at me stating East African running dominance has a racial component? The component to be a distance running champion is equal in all races, at least in black and white. Becoming a world champion requires talent , which isn’t racial , and EPO and testosterone. Proven formula, ask any distance coach (a real one who has had athletes win Olympic medals) in private and they will smile.

It's not about drugs. That's your obsession.

Don't you think you have a moral obligation to young people not to abuse them with dangerous misinformation?

That's child abuse. You aren't self aware enough to know this, but that's exactly what it is. Stop with that.

So Jake Whiteman is a doper?

Far from dominant? They won practically every Gold medal in 1968. You also didn't know that Kenya underwent violent political change in the 70's and 80's where they started to restrict their athletes from competing en masse, then add in the African boycott in 1976. It took them about 20 years before they could get out of the country to compete.

This is yet another "oh, poor mzungus have it sooooo tough" thread allowed by the moderators..."East Africans are superior to whites so they must be cheating, right?"

You saw in 1968, decades before EPO what genetic advantages EA's have at altitude.

So why bring drugs into it?

All male WR from 400m to Marathon.

Actually Victor Hugo isn't my tongue.

Unfortuately I don't find the character set supported by LRC, if not I will write my true name with this tongue of 17 century of history and that was first tongue that instituted what is called today "Grammar".

The steeplechase is a timed performance event where test subjects compete against each other that results in data, both time and finishing position, that can be used to compare and contrast test subject performance using the variable of biological race.