nick symmonds 3rd in 143 high?

113 wrote:

the high jump has been contested since the first olympic games. it doesn't require expensive equipment, like the pole vault-- just a bar and a mat. here's the racial breakdown of the top 16 all-time jumpers:

3 are of african descent, including the world record holder.

1 is chinese.

12 are caucasian.

i just want to know what this magic gene is that allows people of african descent to dominate the sprints and distance events but doesn't allow them to jump high or throw far.

how many black guys do you see or hear about training for swimming? cycling? rowing? nordic skiing? the list goes on. same for high jumping. this is the only reason they aren't dominant.

and saying blacks will only be proportionately represented in the QB position is like saying the same thing about point guards in the NBA in the fairly recent past. now it sounds silly.

post it. wrote:

how many black guys do you see or hear about training for swimming? cycling? rowing? nordic skiing? the list goes on. same for high jumping. this is the only reason they aren't dominant.

nike hand-picked two kenyans to train in nordic skiing for the nagano olympics. one failed to qualify, the other finished last.

you really don't think black guys train for the high jump? have you ever been on a track team or attended a track meet?

i'm also curious how many americans of any color you know that have been running 120-150 miles/week on soft surfaces since the age of 18.

I think that the naysayers are just being pessimistic, but at that same time, I think that calling Symmonds for a 3rd is a set up for disappointment. If he makes the final, that would be great. If he could get into the top 6 in the final, that would be a huge achievement. To get 3rd place, he would have to have all of the stars align. It would take a slow race, maybe bad conditions, and a few of the top guys under performing. Not to take anything away from the accomplishment, but it would take race like the one that got Kara Goucher a bronze. She is far from the third best female 10k runner in the world (She might be the 23rd best female 10k runner in the world right now.), but on that day---in those conditions, in that specific race, she got 3rd (and she deserved it). This is what it would take for Symmonds to see the podium. In the same way, this is what it would take for any male or female U.S. distance runner (with the major exception of Lagat) to see the podium. That isn't to say somebody can't do it. But it will take lots of luck. If an American other that Lagat medals in a distance race, we should be happy, but we shouldn't expect it.

@lance-alot:

just want to be clear what you're arguing: when blacks succeed, it's because they're naturally talented. when whites succeed, it's because they work hard and master technique.

113 are you being intentionally obtuse?

So how about Nick Symmonds running a 1:43 high huh? That was a great run, good thing Willamette is such a great place to develop 800 runners.

Brought a 2:02 senior in high school down to 1:52 as a freshman!

http://athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=650718

http://www.raceberryjam.com/ncoutmenperf09.html#4

114 wrote:

113 are you being intentionally obtuse?

Damn you are a smart one

A little sociology lesson for you since you obviously skipped that class -

Being black and latino are not mutually exclusive.

Sammy Sosa is latino. He is also black. Get it?

Let\'s take it to another level. Pele is from Brazil. Guess what? That\'s right. He\'s black.

I know you did not reference Asians, but just in case you\'re in advanced thinking mode today, I\'ll throw you a little extra something to chew on.

The ex-president of Peru was Alberto Fujimori. His parents came straight from Japan and he was born in Peru (as a matter of fact, much like the Glenn Beck and Lou Dobb idiot ilk, some Peruvians maintained that Alberto himself was born in Japan.) Guess what he looked like? And guess what, he\'s also latino.

Now, back to the original statement. Juantorena and Cruz are black, just like any white man in this country whose daughter brought them home to dinner would tell you.

Now go back to Foss Hill and get back on your bong.

The_Musicman wrote:

The American record is 1:42.59

*1:42.60