If you can run really fast you will be subsidised and nursed here to some degree. Your race, colour, creed are not barriers.
The thing is, you have to show special talent which very few people have. To reach these standards I believe the powers that be in the sport are looking to people like Nigerians to become naturalised Aussies to try to boost our sprint stock. So the idea of black supremacy in the sprints is certainly catching on here.
There is a big search on for good sprint stock amongst our indigenous blacks too.
John Woods (the white U.S. sprinter)has been trying valiantly here for some time with little result.
We do have good training conditions year round and that's a bonus.
At present though I think emphasis is being placed on people who do the technically more difficult events. That's why we have good long jumpers, pole vaulters, throwers and improving hurdlers. They think if we can't match the sheer speed of the west African descent blacks we can beat them on technique and discipline (as our relay teams often do.It's nothing new, the old Soviet regime had much success with this philosophy.
With regard to sprinting,Asafa Powell and the top Americans etc are treated with great respect and awe here, but it's not unusual or considered strange for the best Aussies at the time to be victorious in at least some of the meets especially since the visitors are out of season.
I, for instance have witnessed Steve Brimacombe beat Carl Lewis over 100, Damien Marsh and Dean Capobianco beat Michael Johnson over 100 and Shane Naylor very nearly beat Linford Christie. Now these guys may not have been in peak form but they certainly don't come here to get their asses kicked so they are giving their all. In the early 80's I used to see Paul Narracott often give Alan Wells, Mel Lattany and Don Quarrie some awful frights (watch youtube "Commonwealth Games 100 metres,1982, Alan Wells" to see Wells pass Ben Johnson and Narracoott almost catch him too...great race)Edited by: mastermulti
