How Genes Determine Olympic Success
Olympic success
Why do Kenyans win long distance running competitions while Jamaicans are great at sprinting?
Usain Bolt is a great athlete. The men holds 100 m world record at 9.58 seconds. Surely, he had to put in lots of effort and get the best training. But, Europeans train just as hard, yet they can’t get even close to Bolt. Why is that?
As London Summer Olympics news portray, according to genetic research, people of Western African descent are genetically predisposed to be quick short distance runners. Since most Afro-Americans and black Jamaicans are of this descent, this explains their success at sprinting.
On the other hand, East Africans, as research indicates, are genetically predisposed for long-distance running. In effect, Kenyans and Ethiopians have amazing endurance, allowing them to win on international arenas.
When it comes to sports, event small differences can make an athlete a split second faster and that is often a difference between winning a medal or not.
The sports betting fans need to take these factors into consideration. When it comes to other sports, the differences are not so clear. For example, why are Chinese and Koreans so good at shooting? Is it genetic or simply a form of deep specialization, where nations give more money for certain disciplines?
These questions weren’t answered yet, but there is more likelihood that the next ping-pong winner will be Asian, while marathon winner will come from Africa.
