Nature Vs. Nurture In An Athlete’S Success
Ever since the beginning of civilization, society has worshiped great athletes. Greatness, however is not guaranteed as there are many different factors that determine whether or not an athlete will be successful. Among those factors, the most important is genetics, and this is certainly proven by looking at outstanding athletes such as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Donald Thomas. Genetic inheritance and biological factors in junction with arduous training are the greatest contributing factors to an athlete’s success. Athletics is similar to the animal kingdom, where the fittest survive and the athletes who have the greatest genetic inheritance consequently are the most accomplished. Hailing from Trelawny, Jamaica, Usain Bolt won three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic games before the age of 32 (Biography, 2018).
To be crowned the title, ‘Fastest Man Alive,’ Bolt has established himself by setting multiple sprinting records. Some scientists believe that any gene-centered explanation dismisses the importance of some psycho-social and cultural factors. They believe that these factors largely contribute to the success of Jamaican sprinters. In Jamaica, track and field holds a position of high respect, the culture idolizes sprint heroes. Therefore, there is a powerful desire among the Jamaican youth to use sport to help lift not only themselves but their families out of poverty as well. Whether the desire is there or not, it takes a sprint athlete with special physical capabilities, which usually stem from ‘sprint’ variants of the ACTN3 gene as well as other physical factors, to compete at the level of Usain Bolt.
Upon closer analysis, his success can be attributed to his genetics and his anatomy. Bolt’s innate talent for speed is evident with his physical build, “Looking [at his] stride length and frequency, the uniqueness of Bolt is evidently his stride length” (Shinabarger et al, 2010). Although every step Bolt takes is comparable to his competitors, every step is significantly bigger because of the length of his legs. Adding on, researchers have proven that nature trumps nurture, “They examined the association between size and record times, and found that taller and heavier athletes tended to be the fastest” (Weider, 2010). Bolt achieved 9 gold medals as a result of his genetic build: a towering six-foot-five and ninety-four kilograms compared to the average male Olympic sprinter who usually stand at about six-feet and and weigh seventy-five kilograms.
Bolt’s hereditary traits set him apart from his competition, thus awarding him with athletic success. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Michael Phelps demonstrated swimming prowess at a very young age. He set the record for winning the most medals, 28, of any Olympic athlete in history as well as setting the most world records, 39, of all time (Biography, 2018). Many people credit Phelps’ work ethic and his intense training regiment as the main reason for much of his success. Whoever, what distinctly sets him apart from other swimmers, is his physical build, which is a result of his genetics. “His height, torso-to-leg length, hand and foot size, shoulder width, aerobic capacity, [and] fast- to slow-twitch muscle-fiber ratio…”(“Genetics,Genetics, Genetics”, 2016). His physical build is an integral piece that contributes to Phelps becoming the most prolific swimmer in history.
Furthermore, Phelps holds an advantage over his competitors, as his limbs are longer than average, “ [His} remarkably long torso is like the hull of a boat, allowing him to ride high on the water. His ankles, knees, elbows and shoulder joints are rubber-band flexible. His wingspan is 3 inches longer than his 6-4 height” (Michaelis, 2008). This allows him to be able to glide through the water and touch the finish line before his competitors. Phelps’ athletic build is the most critical aspect which aids him in conquering his rivals and becoming an athletic legend.
Donald Thomas, born in Freeport, Bahamas is an athletic underdog (SR/Olympic Sports). He is a prime example of innate talents prompting an individual to soar over their competition. Thomas tried high jump after a track team member bet that he could not clear a six-foot-six bar. He competed at the World Championships where he only had eight months of training under his belt. This novice, with exceptional natural talent, beat Stefan Holm of Sweden who was physically at a disadvantage, but trained tirelessly, “By the 2004 Olympics where he won a gold medal, he had logged more than 20,000 hours of practice.” Thomas, a college student who after a few hundred hours of practice, reached the level of Holm’s, which he had spent over 20,000 hours working hard to obtain. This disproves Malcolm Gladwell’s famous rule, “Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness,” (Gladwell, 2008).
Thomas is illustrative of how someone who is anatomically built for a specific sport, will have a competitive advantage over someone who is not physically suited. Genetics undoubtedly can give athletes an advantage, and has the potential to set them apart from their competition. This assumption has been demonstrated by the success of some of the highest achievers in their chosen sport, who have genetically inherited physical attributes that are very suited to success within their field. Prime examples of this phenomena are Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Donald Thomas. In comparison to an athlete who has genetic traits specifically suited for the sport, average athletes, no matter how much they practice, will always be at a disadvantage. In conclusion, in the debate of Nature Vs. Nurture, biological build trumps all in separating the good athletes, from the great.
