Black swimmers?

[Bozo Erectus]

If there were Nigerians swimming, I guess that commentator would explain me the guy has learned to swim because he was regularly chased by crocodile while crossing the river...

Thats funny. Sometimes I think the best way to banish racism is to laugh at it. Racists have no problem with people being angry at them, but I think they cant stand being laughingstocks.

 

[stratego]

During the 5000m run, there was an Ethiopian girl leading the run. The commentator was saying me she had learned to run because the school was far far away and she was always late.

If there were Nigerians swimming, I guess that commentator would explain me the guy has learned to swim because he was regularly chased by crocodile while crossing the river...

Hey, it could be true.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

@Marla. It isn't racism, running really is a very big part of day to day life in Ethiopia. Not everyone has the luxury of pursuing physical fitness as a mere recreation, but rather live lifestyles that demand it.

 

[PantheraTigris2]

In U.S. Marine Corps bootcamp, there's what we call 'swim qual' (qualification)... that every recruit must pass at least up to a certain level, before he can proceed any further in his training. 'Coincidentally' there was an EXTREMELY high percentage of black recruits that could *just barely* get past this.

There are 4 levels of swim qual - depending on how good you are. Level 1 is the minimum. Being caucasian (that is not really a fantastic swimmer IMO), I got a level 3 qualification... which is really pretty decent.

I never knew a single black (or 'dark green' as we call them) Marine that ever made level 2. In fact, getting level 1 was a BIG challenge for 90% of them. They had to try, and re-try several times (getting special coaching/ treatment) just to get them past this part of the training. The sheer percentage of the ones that kept failing - and had to repeat - level 1, were mostly all black.

I say it's just not in their genetics.

There may be a small number of really good black swimmers in the world, but all in all, it's just not their thing.

 

[wtiberon]

We have a similiar phenomenon in Ranger school. Rangers must past a swim qualification test and in every class you see black Rangers in the shallow end recieving swim lessons. This isn't always the case mind you but it does happen with alot of frequency. One instructed noted that it had something to do with their low body fat percentage since fat creates bouyancy.

 

[PantheraTigris2]

That would make sense... in the cold, foggy northern lands of Europe, over time evolution is naturally going to give you some layers of blubber to keep you warm.

...but on the scorching hot (and mostly very dry) plains of the Safari, constantly running around (getting lean), etc.... not much need for layers of fat there.

Like they say, just keep your lungs full of air, to try to be as bouyant as possible I guess.


Btw, as you well know by now... another popular myth that gets COMPELTELY DESTROYED in the military experience, is the one that says 'women have more endurance than men'.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Btw, as you well know by now... another popular myth that gets COMPELTELY DESTROYED in the military experience, is the one that says 'women have more endurance than men'.

Indeed!

 

[Marla_Singer]

@Marla. It isn't racism, running really is a very big part of day to day life in Ethiopia. Not everyone has the luxury of pursuing physical fitness as a mere recreation, but rather live lifestyles that demand it.

Maybe but there's still no reason to say that "she was always late". When you run 5000m... I guess you enjoy running... You don't do it only because you're late.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Moderator Action: Moved to Sports.

 

[Longasc]

I do not think that it is so much a question of genetics.

I think blacks tend to prefer their traditional strong disciplines, e.g. running.
It is also not so much part of their culture, going to swim.

To put it bluntly: I think socio-economic factors outweigh any suspected racial attributes.

Someone could collect now info why blacks do this or that sport and what they prefer for various reasons.

 

[Gogf]

There was a black swimmer in the Sydney olympics (Eric "The Eel"), but he couldn't come to this one, because of passport problems.

 

[BloodyPepperoni]

I don't know if you guys remember, but there was a thread here on CFC OT about Miami police lowering swimming requirements for Blacks. I was not able to find the thread, but I found a link about it Here

From the article : «Blacks traditionally have had less access to swimming lessons and pools than whites, especially during the era of segregation. »

 

[Elsaak]

Brazilian incress very much their representation until the semis in Athens ; and Malia Metela, from French Guyana, shows that with hard work, even Blacks can earn medalls.

But this is a genetic fact than muscules and physiologic ressorces are differents if your ancestors were black, yellow, white, brown or any other color you want.
It's the same explaination about the "west african" predominance in sprint running or the "east african" predominance in long way running, or Middle East in force sport (wrestling, weightlifting)...
If you had on it socialogical and economic and education reasons, you may not be far from the answer your students are waiting for....

The answer could also be "if he works hard and trains with passion, even an horse can swim like a dolphin, or a tiger can fly like a bird" ; a lot of exemples show it...

 

[Shabbaman]

Maybe but there's still no reason to say that "she was always late". When you run 5000m... I guess you enjoy running... You don't do it only because you're late.

It's not just "enjoyment". In countries like ethiopia it's common to run to school. Combined with the altitude makes most africans pretty good at distant running. Especially at road races in Europe there are a lot of africans competing who haven't done any matches previously aside from the trials organized by European scouts.
"Being late at school" not only sounds as a good reason to get a head start over your oppponents (in Ethiopia en Kenia for instance, the competition is pretty tense), it's a phrase I've read multiple times in interviews with African athletes. Looking for racist intent here is misplaced.

@gogf: Eric the Eel, is that the guy who nearly drowned in the Sydney olympics?

 

[Hundegesicht]

Maybe but there's still no reason to say that "she was always late". When you run 5000m... I guess you enjoy running... You don't do it only because you're late.

I have a 23 year old friend* who grew up in a small village in Kenya and had to run 4 miles there and back to get to his high school. Why did he run rather than walk? Well, like any other teenager in the world, he didn't like getting up early and didn't have a car. Unlike Europe or North America, there wasn't any bus running in his area so he had to use his feet to get there. I doubt if them saying "she was always late" was meant to be racist, just true.

*He's currently in the U.S. studying for a degree in medicine and intends to fly back to Kenya soon and start his own practice.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Ah come on you guys have really no sense of humour...

 

[Hundegesicht]

What did that human just say again, spock? My Vulcan ears fail me for once...

 

[Mega Tsunami]

I lived in Africa for a number of years and the simple answer is that the locals there just did not like swimming much. Most of them could not swim and were not interested in learning to swim. The local free pool was mostly frequented by whites and the few blacks who did swim were on the whole very poor at it. For example they hated putting their heads under water at all.
And yes, the joke (amongst them) was that a dislike of water was in their genes – to keep them away from crocodile infested waters.

 

[Shabbaman]

A couple of weeks ago (yes, in that period of the year in which the media have absolutely nothing sensible to report) it was in the news that there was a comparetavely large number of foreign youths drowning in the Netherlands. Supposedly this was because "our" waters were deeper than "theirs" (which sounds pretty stupid), and that they had a hard time understanding why local youths could swim where they could not.

 

[aaminion00]

The reason there are so few black swimmers is probably similar to why there are so few white sprinters, whatever that may be.