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American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos receiving the Olympics medals on the morning of October 16, 1968, shoeless and only in black socks, raised their gloved hands giving the traditional black power salute, underlining at once the plight and power.
Though booed by the spectators, their gesture became front-page news around the world. Smith later said, “If I win, I am an American, not a black American. But if I did something bad, then they would say I am a Negro … . We are black and we are proud of being black. Black America will understand what we did tonight.”
Cut to London 2012, and the story remains much the same, only the characters have changed.
Sanya Richards-Ross, Allyson Felix, Francena McCorory and Deedee Trotter ran to a new record in women’s 4 x 400-m relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They are Americans and of African descent.
The common thread linking Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson is much of the same nature. They are also medal winners at London 2012 for men’s 100-m hurdle, represent the US and are African Americans.
The diminutive 16-year-old Gabby Douglas, nicknamed ‘the flying squirrel’, became the first African American to win all-round gold for gymnastics in London, even as Venus and Serena Williams stamped their tennis prowess at the games. And then there were Cullen Jones, Lia Neal, Justin Gatlin, Carmelita Jeter, Michael Tinsley, Will Claye, Maya Lawrence, Dawn Harper, Kellie Wells, Brittney Reese …
Without doubt, African American athletes have contributed tremendously to the 104-medal tally that put the US on top of the table, proving once gain that genes matter.
However, when one looks at the performance of African nations, the correlation between genes and sporting ability does not quite stand the test. Of the 53 African nations that participated, only six managed to strike gold at the Olympics and secure a place among the top 50 nations; none in the top 10 though. These include South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Algeria and Uganda. The rationale often and rightfully suggested is the lack of sporting infrastructure in these countries. The poverty in these countries often makes sport a luxury.
It is all black when reflecting on the performance of African nations. Were then Smith and Carlos right in the Mexico Olympics of 1968?
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