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Why are there fcukall black swimmers in the Olympics?

BattleCorp

I'm not trying to be funny here but why are there so few successful black swimmers?

They are successful at lots of sports but why not swimming?

Is it something genetic, a dislike for the sport, cultural reasons etc?

Genuinely curious.

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Allinall

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'm not trying to be funny here but why are there so few successful black swimmers?

They are successful at lots of sports but why not swimming?

Is it something genetic, a dislike for the sport, cultural reasons etc?

Genuinely curious.

Lack of facilities in their home countries.

jimmy blevins

They'll dissolve in the chlorine.

sundodger5

The same reason they are excellent athletes. Their bones are more dense.

dudara

Seriously - probably mainly due to genetics and natural fit to swimming.

razorblunt

Eric the Eel scared them off.

Same reason you don't have many British lads called Eddie doing the Ski Jump at the Winter Olympics.

GLaDOS

It's due to centre of gravity, White people have a lower centre of gravity more suited to swimming. Conversely black people's higher centre of gravity suits sprinting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/7884135/Centre-of-gravity-theory-for-dominance-of-black-sprinters-and-white-swimmers.html

Jawgap

A combination of cultural, sporting, physiological and economic issues.....which is also why there are very few black hockey players, equestrians, cyclists etc at the Olympics.

Alf Veedersane

Allinall wrote: »

Lack of facilities in their home countries.

There are a few pools in the U.S.

Jawgap

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

There are a few pools in the U.S.

Yeah, but you have to learn to swim first and African American communities have low participation in learning to swim classes and consequently more rate their swimming abilities as poor.....because even where you have pools lessons have to be paid for.

Collie D

MrDiyFan wrote: »

a good lot train at blackpool in the UK

How old are you?

Alf Veedersane

Jawgap wrote: »

Yeah, but you have to learn to swim first and African American communities have low participation in learning to swim classes and consequently more rate their swimming abilities as poor.....because even where you have pools lessons have to be paid for.

I'm not disagreeing but the point seemed to suggest the reason is primarily poor countries with no pools.

There's a lot more to it than that. You could even include physiological factors.

Laika123

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'm not trying to be funny here but why are there so few successful black swimmers?

They are successful at lots of sports but why not swimming?

Is it something genetic, a dislike for the sport, cultural reasons etc?

Genuinely curious.

Their bones are denser and not good swimmers, well thats what I was told years ago when I asked the same question.

[Deleted User]

On a related issue, Why are the Irish so bad at swimming?

At least there's a physical reason why black people don't tend to be good swimmers. But what's our excuse?

pablo128

Why don't pakistani's play soccer?
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.Because every time they get a corner they open a convenience store!:pac:

Laika123

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

On a related issue, Why are the Irish so bad at swimming?

At least there's a physical reason why black people don't tend to be good swimmers. But what's our excuse?

What was that swimmer a few years ago, Michelle Smith, actually she was caught taking stimulants.

Calahonda52

Michelle, ma belle
These are words that go together well
My Michelle
Michelle, ma belle
Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble
Très bien ensemble.
By the ELPO

pablo128

Laika123 wrote: »

What was that swimmer a few years ago, Michelle Smith, actually she was caught taking stimulants.

Another reason in Ireland I believe is a lack of 50m swimming pools. Our pools are not long enough.

Collie D

Laika123 wrote: »

What was that swimmer a few years ago, Michelle Smith, actually she was caught taking stimulants.

Don't think she was actually caught for doping but had a urine test that suggested she should either lay off the booze or it was tampered with.

511

dudara wrote: »

Seriously - probably mainly due to genetics and natural fit to swimming.

Interesting comment from someone who posted this:

This bears an appalling similarity to historical claims around "the Negro" and how his supposed inferiority to the white man was due to his genetics.

Alf Veedersane

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

On a related issue, Why are the Irish so bad at swimming?

At least there's a physical reason why black people don't tend to be good swimmers. But what's our excuse?

Well, the Irish are the blacks of Europe.

jimmy blevins

Our greatest Olympian is a swimmer.

Your Face

I don't know - slavery?
Just blame white people.
Yay!

CruelCoin

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'm not trying to be funny here but why are there so few successful black swimmers?

They are successful at lots of sports but why not swimming?

Is it something genetic, a dislike for the sport, cultural reasons etc?

Genuinely curious.

For the same reason why there are so few successful white sprinters/runners?

Different physiological attributes i imagine.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Studies show it is mostly a socioeconomic issue but greater bone density is also a factor. (Wagner, Heyward et al.)

DopeTech

BattleCorp wrote: »

I'm not trying to be funny here but why are there so few successful black swimmers?

They are successful at lots of sports but why not swimming?

Is it something genetic, a dislike for the sport, cultural reasons etc?

Genuinely curious.

Running is more their thing!

Joe prim

Aniya Ripe Stairway wrote: »

Studies show it is mostly a socioeconomic issue but greater bone density is also a factor. (Wagner, Heyward et al.)

Very racist calling black people dense.

[Deleted User]

511 wrote: »

Interesting comment from someone who posted this:

Ah here, there's a big difference in stating an established fact (the skeletons of black people are heavier, their bones are denser) and saying they are inferior... nobody here said the latter.

I was googling this to make sure the bone-density issue isn't an urban myth (it isn't) , and came across another interesting fact.

If you're from a poorer background, are athletic, and have the body-type that is associated with strong swimmers (lean, long arms & torso) you're probably more likely to pursue a financially lucrative sport like basketball. Swimming is not very lucrative. Black people tend to be poorer than whites, so that may explain why black athletic children tend not to favour swimming over lucrative sports.

Of course there are probably also cultural reasons at play, to do with a lack of black swimming role models.

Except this guy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rqI8xwXVac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rqI8xwXVac

Jawgap

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing but the point seemed to suggest the reason is primarily poor countries with no pools.

There's a lot more to it than that. You could even include physiological factors.

I did in post #9

If it was lack of infrastructure that would explain it for certain countries, but other so called developed countries - the US, France, Oz etc - have world class facilities, talent identification programmes, elite development etc and rarely do you see a black swimmer come through at national level.....

.....in the US, participation in swimming is lowest among black communities because lessons have to be paid for and other sports, with lower barriers to entry, are culturally more embedded.

On the physiological side, there's an argument that suggests that genetically black athletes develop much greater muscle densities which are great for explosive sprinting and power, but that decreases buoyancy which makes swimming a bit more difficult - the margin involved is not much, but sufficient to prevent many from making it to elite status.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Joe prim wrote: »

Very racist calling black people dense.

I didn't and neither did the researchers. Trying to be funny? Then learn the distinction between the terms used first.

Calahonda52

jimmy blevins wrote: »

Our greatest Olympian is a swimmer.

So is
Our greatest swimmer an Olympian.?