Elite sprinting is dominated by black athletes. Theories as to why span painful history and cutting-edge science - and many are unproven.
What made Usain Bolt – an era-defining champion of immense speed and consummate ease at just 23 – so fast?
The theory runs that the unnatural selection of black physical prowess centuries ago affects podium potential today. But was Bolt right? Does the link between modern glory and a dark past hold true? Or are appearances deceiving?Su Bingtian prepares to compete in the 100m final at the Tokyo Olympics. He finished sixth behing eventual champion Marcell Jacobs and silver medallist Fred Kerley
"From the Enlightenment all the way through to the present day, there has been a science around racial typology and the belief in meaningful difference along the lines of skin colour," explains Dr Paul Campbell, associate professor of sociology at the University of Leicester. An estimated 10 million slaves were transported by ship from Africa across the Atlantic between the 16th and 19th centuries, with appalling conditions onboard meaning many never arrived at their destination.
A number of studies showed people of West African origin were almost guaranteed to have the right variant of the so-called 'sprint gene' to run fast. , suggested people of West African origin benefited from a higher centre of gravity than white people, providing them a 1.5% advantage over the course of a 100m race as they were able to fall to the ground more quickly between strides.
In an academic career during which he has conducted research out of universities in Glasgow, Brighton and now Hong Kong, Pitsiladis has built up the largest known DNA bank gathered from international athletes anywhere in the world. He explains: "Greeks don't have basketball genes, but everyone plays it in Greece so of course they are going to be good at it."In spite of wholesale racial theories espoused by the likes of Bannister, no West African country - from Ivory Coast to Ghana and Senegal to Mali - has ever produced a single individual male Olympic or world medallist over 100m or 200m.
"Most will realise they are terrible at it, but the good ones come to the top and there is an environment which allows that to happen. As those nations have faded, distance running has become a national sport in Kenya and Ethiopia, where there are also natural physiological benefits to be reaped from training at high altitude.
He explains that sprinting is seen as a safe place where black people might feel they can belong and excel.
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