Maple Leaf
Mentor
This stuff's old news. Wariner has not done what a white man has not already done many times before. Before black runners were "discovered" in the mid twentieth century white men ran and won in all distances against all peoples including guess who, yes, blacks.
"But those times were so slow back then",you say.
I scratch behind my head. "Yeah, but everyone's times were slower back then".
"But blacks weren't given the opportunity before. Now they are and they are unstopable. Look man, they like rule track and ..."
I interupt. "Opportunity? When? At what period?"
"Before the 'mid twentieth century', as you say"
"Well let me put it to you this way," I say. And this is what I said. "The forties were a wash because of La Deuxi`eme Guerre Mondiale (WWII). In the thirties I recall Owens did quite well. The Olympics only re-started in 1896 and for him to win a gold medal some thirty years later it means he must have had some fair training and opportunity long before then. It seems to me whites have always been pretty fair about this. And I'll add this whether you like it or not: sports are like manual labour and blacks are very prevalent in manual jobs so it's only natural they would also turn to sports."
The only thing, if anything, I see extraordinary about Wariner was his age at such a high level of achievement. He obviously found that he liked running at a young age and grew into his sport which is what a champion needs to do anywhere. You can't start at 18. It may also be that he peaked at a young age and may not get that much faster.
Look, it's just running, and that's it. Let's not make much more of it than that. Anyone can run. We all have legs don't we? Speed is a state of mind, not color. The only basic requisite is desire. I don't want to reveal much technique because of raiders but I will say this: you have to imagine the other side of the finish line is pulling you to it- you are not trying to catch it.
I'm not saying everyone is going to be a champion. Obviously the man 5'5" has a shorter stride than a man 6'0" and, if they have the same leg speed, the taller man will out run the shorter once he has hit full speed and those extra 10 cms or so start to add up. But stride length is not exclusive to any race. If you never try you will never win. Poor results stem from poor participation. A caste system ensures poor participation.
"But those times were so slow back then",you say.
I scratch behind my head. "Yeah, but everyone's times were slower back then".
"But blacks weren't given the opportunity before. Now they are and they are unstopable. Look man, they like rule track and ..."
I interupt. "Opportunity? When? At what period?"
"Before the 'mid twentieth century', as you say"
"Well let me put it to you this way," I say. And this is what I said. "The forties were a wash because of La Deuxi`eme Guerre Mondiale (WWII). In the thirties I recall Owens did quite well. The Olympics only re-started in 1896 and for him to win a gold medal some thirty years later it means he must have had some fair training and opportunity long before then. It seems to me whites have always been pretty fair about this. And I'll add this whether you like it or not: sports are like manual labour and blacks are very prevalent in manual jobs so it's only natural they would also turn to sports."
The only thing, if anything, I see extraordinary about Wariner was his age at such a high level of achievement. He obviously found that he liked running at a young age and grew into his sport which is what a champion needs to do anywhere. You can't start at 18. It may also be that he peaked at a young age and may not get that much faster.
Look, it's just running, and that's it. Let's not make much more of it than that. Anyone can run. We all have legs don't we? Speed is a state of mind, not color. The only basic requisite is desire. I don't want to reveal much technique because of raiders but I will say this: you have to imagine the other side of the finish line is pulling you to it- you are not trying to catch it.
I'm not saying everyone is going to be a champion. Obviously the man 5'5" has a shorter stride than a man 6'0" and, if they have the same leg speed, the taller man will out run the shorter once he has hit full speed and those extra 10 cms or so start to add up. But stride length is not exclusive to any race. If you never try you will never win. Poor results stem from poor participation. A caste system ensures poor participation.