I vote for the 400 meters as the best measure of running speed. There is no other running event which is as pure a measure of running ability. A 400 runner could move up to 1500 meters or down to 100 meters, and do a respectable job at either distance. Caucasians are the fastest runners in the world, both men and women. Go to IAAF.org and look at the Olympic 4 x 400 relay results as a whole, not just at the winners.
Some smokin' fast relay splits by caucasians on the 4 x 400 relay. In fact, 4 of the 5 fastest splits were by whites:
http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/kind=108/newsid=47301.html
"...But he had some unexpected company in rising Belgian star Jonathan Borlee, who kept his squad in the hunt with a blistering 43.62 leg, to remain within a second of the Americans...With another phenomenal performance, Wariner covered the final lap in a sensation 43.18... Russia, with an inspired 43.56 anchor leg by Denis Alexeev - one of five sub-44 splits in the race - moved from fourth into third to take the bronze with a national record 2:56.08. Further back, Martyn Rooney, propelled by a 43.73..."
The other sub-44 split was black American Angelo Taylor's 43.70 (Merritt ran lead-off in 44.35).
The Russian gals ran a heck of a race, just losing at the end to the Americans in a very fast time. Ukrainians also.Edited by: Observer
Some smokin' fast relay splits by caucasians on the 4 x 400 relay. In fact, 4 of the 5 fastest splits were by whites:
http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/kind=108/newsid=47301.html
"...But he had some unexpected company in rising Belgian star Jonathan Borlee, who kept his squad in the hunt with a blistering 43.62 leg, to remain within a second of the Americans...With another phenomenal performance, Wariner covered the final lap in a sensation 43.18... Russia, with an inspired 43.56 anchor leg by Denis Alexeev - one of five sub-44 splits in the race - moved from fourth into third to take the bronze with a national record 2:56.08. Further back, Martyn Rooney, propelled by a 43.73..."
The other sub-44 split was black American Angelo Taylor's 43.70 (Merritt ran lead-off in 44.35).
The Russian gals ran a heck of a race, just losing at the end to the Americans in a very fast time. Ukrainians also.Edited by: Observer
