Jenna Prandini The First White 200m American Sprint Champion Since 1953

Give me back my drugs! wrote:

Wrong Kellie White

I like this nickname. Smacks of "Screaming Jay Hawkins" or "Blind Lemon Jefferson."

LetsRun.com wrote:

Another journalist just wondered when the last time a white American won the USA 200m title.

We went through the list and think it was Doris Dwyer (Duffy) who won the US 200m title in 1953.

http://www.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAOutdoorTF/women/200m.aspx

If we're wrong let us know.

He said he couldn't write about it but it is newsworthy.

At NCAAs, the discussion was whether Prandini was the first white American sprinter under 11.00.

Geezus, the only people who think about those things, AND say them are idiots who are still stuck living low consciousness lives where they still think it is worth mentioning the difference in race. etc. etc. etc.

It will be a news story when idiots like you stop mentioning race.

begeezus christo wrote:

LetsRun.com wrote:

Another journalist just wondered when the last time a white American won the USA 200m title.

We went through the list and think it was Doris Dwyer (Duffy) who won the US 200m title in 1953.

http://www.usatf.org/statistics/USA-Champions/USAOutdoorTF/women/200m.aspx

If we're wrong let us know.

He said he couldn't write about it but it is newsworthy.

At NCAAs, the discussion was whether Prandini was the first white American sprinter under 11.00.

Geezus, the only people who think about those things, AND say them are idiots who are still stuck living low consciousness lives where they still think it is worth mentioning the difference in race. etc. etc. etc.

It will be a news story when idiots like you stop mentioning race.

Could be she Rachel Dolezal's daughter?

Yooiiytt wrote:

I know far left people hate the facts of it destroys the thought police and very ignorantly calling things ignorant.

Give me a break. This has nothing to do with liberals vs. conservatives. Lots of conservatives are overly-PC morons as well (admittedly, the percentage is probably higher for liberals, but that doesn't make it is a partisan issue).

I have to agree with Yooiiyt. You do sound offended or minimally annoyed. I would agree with you if it was the main thrust of an article, but not to even bring it up would be ignoring the elephant in the room and seems overly race conscious. I hoped that we have evolved beyond a fear of even bringing up a racial anomaly without fear of being accused of being racist.A white girl hasn't won the 200 in years, to ignore even mentioning that fact seems to be an abnormal reaction.Also, if you are a white sprinter running the 200, and you are inspired by that, its probably a good thing for the sport. Its always a good thing when racial barriers are broken.Tiger Woods break through was great for the sport of golf. A white kid winning the NBA dunk contest was good for basketball. No big deal. Let's all relax. You can mention race, gender or sexual preference. Its OK.I'm liberal by the way.

IJS wrote:

Yooiiytt wrote:

People care about race all of the time. First black president - remember that. Race does matter because it is rare to even have a white person in the 100 or 200 final let alone win it. Don't be offended so much.it really is ok to talk about even in 2015 when free speech and the ability to have real conversation is stifled.

Who says I'm offended. Its one thing to bring up historic firsts like the 1st black president when blacks had only been allowed to vote 40+ years prior. But you probably don't get it so I'll let you boys get back to feeding stereotypes & ignorance.

This just increases my white guilt. We get all the advantages.

[quote]Conundrum wrote:

A white girl hasn't won the 200 in years, to ignore even mentioning that fact seems to be an abnormal reaction.

Also, if you are a white sprinter running the 200, and you are inspired by that, its probably a good thing for the sport. Its always a good thing when racial barriers are broken.

Tiger Woods break through was great for the sport of golf. A white kid winning the NBA dunk contest was good for basketball. No big deal. Let's all relax. "

I agree. Isn't diversity supposed to be good? A white sprinter in the 100 would be awesome.

Read the history about what was going on in 1953! Segregation! The evil race did not allow blacks to compete with the general population. The lady might be riding on black DNA!

TrackFan19 wrote:

Why are we discussing Jenna's race? She is a great track & field athlete. So what if she is white. Can't we just enjoy her great performances and her very bright future in the sport.

And the hotness, we can't overlook the hotness.

[

LetsRun.com wrote:

Another journalist just wondered when the last time a white American won the USA 200m title.

At NCAAs, the discussion was whether Prandini was the first white American sprinter under 11.00.

Geezus, the only people who think about those things, AND say them are idiots who are still stuck living low consciousness lives where they still think it is worth mentioning the difference in race. etc. etc. etc.

It will be a news story when idiots like you stop mentioning race.[/quote]

Speaking of races, Pietro Paolo Mennea was an Italian sprinter and politician, who was the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200 meter champion, and also held the 200 m world record for almost 17 years with his time of 19.72 seconds. He credits his mother's marinara sauce for his success.(ok, I made that last part up.)

From columnist at the Herald of Scotland in 2013, reporting on Mennea's passing:Wednesday 27 March 2013

CENTURIES from now, history may describe Pietro Mennea, who died last week, as the last Caucasian to hold a world sprint record.The Italian, who denied Scotland's Allan Wells the Olympic double in 1980 by the narrowest of margins, reached life's finish line all too quickly, at the age of 60.

I detest racism, and believe skin colour is irrelevant except perhaps when commenting on sprinting, simply because that discipline has become the exclusive preserve of Afro-Caribbeans, rendering Caucasians such endangered species status that it once prompted Muhammad Ali to ask Mennea how the fastest man on Earth "could possibly be a white man?"

Mennea responded: "I'm blacker than you on the inside."

Here we go again.

Pointing out that she is white buys into self defeating stereo types.

Appreciate her run for what it was. A winning effort at a national championship. That is plenty significant.

Everytime someone notes the fastest white sprinter or first non-African under 27:00 in the 10,000m, etc, etc, etc, they are buying into stereo types that limit them. They are conceptually incarcerated.

Great champions don't spent *any* time thinking about or looking at lists or rankings of where they stand based on their race. The believe they can compete with everyone. Raced based performance comparisons are trivial at best, and at worst, serve to continue to divide us human beings.

IJS wrote:

questioner of things wrote:

Why couldn't he write about it?

Because it's stupid and why does anyone care if she's white black Latina or other.

He could write about it if Prandini were Hispanic or Asian. But anything positive about whites is verboten. Look at who runs the media. The US is the Weimar Republic II.

Prandini dominated the 200m Trials because the horses Tori Bowie and Allyson Felix were both absent.

Granted, she is a great sprinter, irrespective of skin color but she will face a much stiffer test at Worlds

Don't play dumb wrote:

IJS wrote:

Who says I'm offended. Its one thing to bring up historic firsts like the 1st black president when blacks had only been allowed to vote 40+ years prior. But you probably don't get it so I'll let you boys get back to feeding stereotypes & ignorance.

Yeah right, like race doesn't matter. When was the last Tibetan, Samoan, Filipino, etc. woman to break 11.00 in the 100? When did we last see a Kenyan Yokozuna?

Are you aware that there's a difference between race and nationality?

What race are you? Canadian?

My family is of black race and many were the first to notice she was a fast WHITE girl. YES, it's fine to acknowledge this. STOP being so damn sensitive people. This is impressive as blacks have dominated sprints for years. It's even rare to see a white person in the finals let alone win. Congrats Jenna.

Right you are, although it's Prandini, not Branding. I hadn't watched that race until now but misremembered.

Not totally true. While southern White schools were segregated. Historical Black colleges sent athletes to national meets and to compete for national titles, even in 53'. Now would somebody who was extremely poor in the south bother to participate in an amateur sport rather than working at a job is probably a more relevant question.

Maybe it's time for school coaches to stop splitting their sprinters from their distance runners based on race.

Throwing more fuel into the fire.

Pietro Mennea - Italian sprinter who held 200m record for 17 years.

Jenna Prandini - White sprinter of Italian heritage who is now 200m sprint champion.

Coincidence of the Italian heritage?

No secret many southern Italians have more melanin in their bloodstream than the average white person.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule but does Jenna's Italian heritage mean anything as part of her success?