Multi-olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson has made headlines this week for his comments that being a descendant of West African slaves helped him as far being a fast runner is concerned in an interview with the Daily Mail. Obviously a lot of people are upset with these comments given the stereotypes that have been around for years.

Thoughts?

Survival of the fastest: Why descendants of slaves will take the medals in the London 2012 sprint finals

• Olympic champion Michael Johnson says black American and Caribbean sprinters have a 'superior athletic gene'
• All eight finalists in the 2008 Olympic 100m final are believed to have been descended from slaves

By Sally Beck

PUBLISHED: 17:59 EST, 30 June 2012 | UPDATED: 07:16 EST, 1 July 2012

Olympic legend Michael Johnson says a ‘superior athletic gene’ in the descendants of West African slaves means black American and Caribbean sprinters will command the sport at the London Games.

The Olympic gold medallist and BBC commentator said: ‘Over the last few years, athletes of Afro- Caribbean and Afro-American descent have dominated athletics finals.

‘It’s a fact that hasn’t been discussed openly before. It’s a taboo subject in the States but it is what it is. Why shouldn’t we discuss it?’

Legacy: Michael Johnson, pictured in Jamaica, says black American and Caribbean sprinters have a 'superior athletic gene'

Reigning Olympic 100m champion Usain Bolt was born in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, where British Olympic boss Lord Coe’s plantation-owning ancestor George Hyde Park had 297 slaves.

Of the eight 100m finalists four years ago, three were Jamaicans, two came from Trinidad and Tobago, two were Afro-American and one, representing the Netherlands, was born on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. All eight are believed to be descended from slaves.

Johnson says: ‘It is currently being researched to see how much of a factor being descended from slaves contributes to athletic ability.’

Some scientists believe a combination of selective breeding by slave owners and appalling conditions meant that only the strongest slaves endured, creating a group predisposed to record-breaking athletic performance.

African slaves underwent a rigorous selection process and only the fittest were transported on ships.

Interestingly, the toughest journey was to Jamaica, the last stop on the slave trail.

Taboo: Usain Bolt (right), pictured winning the Olympic 100m final in Beijing in 2008, was born in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, where British Olympic boss Lord Coe¿s plantation-owning ancestor George Hyde Park had 297 slaves

During one voyage in 1732, a staggering 96 per cent of slaves lost their lives – 170 boarded the ship and only six got off.

Jamaican geneticist Dr Rachael Irving said: ‘There was not much oxygen on slave ships so they had to use whatever they had to survive.’

Dr Herb Elliott, doctor to the Jamaican Olympic team, added: ‘Only the most aggressive and fiercest slaves ended up in Jamaica.’

Johnson, 44, had a DNA test for a Channel 4 documentary, Michael Johnson: Survival Of The Fastest, to be screened on Thursday night, which confirmed he is of West African descent.

He said: ‘All my life I believed I became an athlete through my own determination, but it’s impossible to think that being descended from slaves hasn’t left an imprint through the generations.

‘Difficult as it was to hear, slavery has benefited descendants like me – I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us.’

Champion: A DNA test confirmed that Johnson, pictured celebrating gold in 1996, is of West African descent

Not a smart thing for him to say.

The unintended consequence of buying into the the one race-owns-superior-gene ideas is that other races can say similar things involving intellect or cognitive skills, etc. Why not penchants towards crime genes, etc.

Mofo's hate hearing the truth.

Unbelievable.

The "superior athletic gene" missed me, that's for sure.

It's entirely possible that what he's saying - politically correct though it may be - is true.

Just like the higher rate of hypertension among blacks may have its roots in slavery. (Because slaves who were able to work with lower blood volumes due to dehydration were the ones who survived.)

What he is saying is probably true, but it's hard to say how big an advantage it gives in the end. Apparently big enough to make a difference though

I doubt there's a specific "athletic gene". Just a combination of different genetic traits contributing to overall health, muscle growth etc.

i wanna know which ethnicity/skin color/race has the superior intellect gene? white folk? chinese, maybe??

[Edited 7/5/12 9:32am]

XxAxX said:

interesting. well huh. i guess that leaves the superior intellect gene to white folk hey

Nope, that went to the Chinese.

WaterInYourBath said:

XxAxX said:

interesting. well huh. i guess that leaves the superior intellect gene to white folk hey

Nope, that went to the Chinese.

see my edit above

XxAxX said:

WaterInYourBath said:

Nope, that went to the Chinese.

see my edit above

I teach Chinese college students and I can tell you, they are NOT superior to other races with regards to thinking. If anybody could even remotely be given that honor here, I'd give it to the Indians.

But, seriously. I can see what Jordan is saying about racial adaptations, but it's a bit over-the-top to make superlative announcements like that. To my knowledge mexican 'Indians' used to run barefoot for hundreds of kilometers, didn't they? And the smartest person on earth right now is a white--not Asian--WOMAN, not man.

imago said:

XxAxX said:

see my edit above

I teach Chinese college students and I can tell you, they are NOT superior to other races with regards to thinking. If anybody could even remotely be given that honor here, I'd give it to the Indians.

But, seriously. I can see what Jordan is saying about racial adaptations, but it's a bit over-the-top to make superlative announcements like that. To my knowledge mexican 'Indians' used to run barefoot for hundreds of kilometers, didn't they? And the smartest person on earth right now is a white--not Asian--WOMAN, not man.

i agree. mr jordan does have a point, but extending it out of context in a generalized fashion might not be the best way to go, just imo

XxAxX said:

imago said:

I teach Chinese college students and I can tell you, they are NOT superior to other races with regards to thinking. If anybody could even remotely be given that honor here, I'd give it to the Indians.

But, seriously. I can see what Jordan is saying about racial adaptations, but it's a bit over-the-top to make superlative announcements like that. To my knowledge mexican 'Indians' used to run barefoot for hundreds of kilometers, didn't they? And the smartest person on earth right now is a white--not Asian--WOMAN, not man.

i agree. mr jordan does have a point, but extending it out of context in a generalized fashion might not be the best way to go, just imo

Who's "Mr. Jordan?" It's Michael Johnson.

Genesia said:

XxAxX said:

i agree. mr jordan does have a point, but extending it out of context in a generalized fashion might not be the best way to go, just imo

Who's "Mr. Jordan?" It's Michael Johnson.

I was trying to avoid talking about his penis. It's hard for me to talk about atheletic black men without getting into the subject of penis.

XxAxX said:

WaterInYourBath said:

Nope, that went to the Chinese.

see my edit above

We must have posted at the same time.

uPtoWnNY said:

The "superior athletic gene" missed me, that's for sure.

Was thinking the same thing Uptown, LOL!!!!

imago said:

XxAxX said:

see my edit above

I teach Chinese college students and I can tell you, they are NOT superior to other races with regards to thinking. If anybody could even remotely be given that honor here, I'd give it to the Indians.

But, seriously. I can see what Jordan is saying about racial adaptations, but it's a bit over-the-top to make superlative announcements like that. To my knowledge mexican 'Indians' used to run barefoot for hundreds of kilometers, didn't they? And the smartest person on earth right now is a white--not Asian--WOMAN, not man.

Chinese from China, or Chinese from the United States? I was referring to Chinese from China.

WaterInYourBath said:

imago said:

I teach Chinese college students and I can tell you, they are NOT superior to other races with regards to thinking. If anybody could even remotely be given that honor here, I'd give it to the Indians.

But, seriously. I can see what Jordan is saying about racial adaptations, but it's a bit over-the-top to make superlative announcements like that. To my knowledge mexican 'Indians' used to run barefoot for hundreds of kilometers, didn't they? And the smartest person on earth right now is a white--not Asian--WOMAN, not man.

Chinese from China, or Chinese from the United States? I was referring to Chinese from China.

Chinese from China.

In no way, shape or form would I consider these guys smarter than Americans.

The ones in the states are amazing in comparison. I grew around a Chinese family, and all of their children are now doctors, researchers, etc---and this is from working full time jobs at day and night, and finding time to squeeze college in.

But, the Chinese form China that are here in Thailand are just plane lazy for the most part.

Really, terrifically unmotivated, passive learners who don't think outside the box.

eh, I don't know.

He's talking about sprinters. The top marathon runners are African, the top swimmers are white, the top gymnasts are Asian...

Graycap23 said:

Mofo's hate hearing the truth.

Unbelievable.

They sure hated it when Jimmy the Greek said it!

imago said:

WaterInYourBath said:

Chinese from China, or Chinese from the United States? I was referring to Chinese from China.

Chinese from China.

In no way, shape or form would I consider these guys smarter than Americans.

The ones in the states are amazing in comparison. I grew around a Chinese family, and all of their children are now doctors, researchers, etc---and this is from working full time jobs at day and night, and finding time to squeeze college in.

But, the Chinese from China that are here in Thailand are just plane lazy for the most part.

Really, terrifically unmotivated, passive learners who don't think outside the box.

Wow, that's interesting, thanks for the info. The numerous visiting students and teachers I've met and known from China in school here in the US have always been very studious and extremely disciplined. Plus China itself is so much more industrially advanced than most other countries, which is why I've always figured that general high-IQ characterization is accurate. But like athletically-challenged Black people, the stereotype doesn't apply to all of them, lol.

"slaves" my ass

ANY black athlete is basically BETTER than any white athlete

everybody knows that, here there and everywhere, even the fucking KKK

uPtoWnNY said:

The "superior athletic gene" missed me, that's for sure.

Like the "superior dancer gene" missed Smokey Robinson?

When it comes to track running, Original Superman is right on this one. Try and say otherwise. Gon' ahead.

Hell even basketball too.

but other races got particular sports on lock too.

White folks got Hockey, Motorsports, Tennis and I would say Baseball but they sharing baseball with Latino folks too.

Asian guys got Badminton and they pretty good at Squash too.

It's all good. It is what it is, don't get mad.

smoothcriminal12 said:

AsherFierce said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

Genesia said:

XxAxX said:

i agree. mr jordan does have a point, but extending it out of context in a generalized fashion might not be the best way to go, just imo

Who's "Mr. Jordan?" It's Michael Johnson.

good god man, you're right! i blame my meds

and also, i want to add that (no disrespect to atheletes intended) i think that scottish folk are the luckiest due to they have the sought-after music gene

One time, an older white lady told me that because of my interests, intellect, etc. that I was not "genetically black"...it pissed me off and I asked her to clarify what she meant and she looked like a deer in headlines. Prior to retiring, she worked as a psychotherapist and basically tried to spin some sort of eugenics argument to justify why I just didn't seem like a "stereotypical" black person...

In school, I was NEVER remotely athletic and I can't sing worth a crap....does this mean I ain't black? This is ridiculous. Michael Johnson probably is making a good argument but not stating it the right way. Using this type of "logic" however is a bit dangerous because it's like saying you could take any random black person off the street and they could be "athletic" by virtue of being black, ridiculous

Lock this thread please

[Edited 7/5/12 13:43pm]

[Edited 7/5/12 13:44pm]

SeventeenDayze said:

One time, an older white lady told me that because of my interests, intellect, etc. that I was not "genetically black"...it pissed me off and I asked her to clarify what she meant and she looked like a deer in headlines. Prior to retiring, she worked as a psychotherapist and basically tried to spin some sort of eugenics argument to justify why I just didn't seem like a "stereotypical" black person...

In school, I was NEVER remotely athletic and I can't sing worth a crap....does this mean I ain't black? This is ridiculous. Michael Johnson probably is making a good argument but not stating it the right way. Using this type of "logic" however is a bit dangerous because it's like saying you could take any random black person off the street and they could be "athletic" by virtue of being black, ridiculous

Lock this thread please

That is not even remotely what Michael Johnson said.

What was that about your "intellect"?