On the gender controversy…the Olympics pool from so many humans that for many years now, you can tell just visually that top contenders are those naturally selected with genetic traits lending them unusual prowess in their sport. For strength based sports, more women with male traits rise to the top and vice-versa for men in more physiologically female dominated areas.
Yeah. Should Michael Phelps have been banned from the Olympics because his genes gave him a perfect body for swimming, giving him an unfair advantage over those who don’t? Where is the line drawn?
Pretty much
Do not show this to a biologist unless you want to get lectured for a bit.
I’m not sure if the meme conveys my point precisely. I’m not saying that the Olympics are a genetic superman breeding program.
I’m saying that if you put a call out across the globe for the most gifted competitors for decades, you’re going to be getting people who are already deeply passionate about their events, but if you presume that level of competitive spirit to begin with, then you’re going to start seeing people who are also genetically advantaged emerge as top competitors.
Michael Phelps is already an incredibly passionate swimmer, but then again so is everyone in the pool with him. He’s got his super long arms that, if he weren’t competitive, wouldn’t be worth a damn, but combined with his training and commitment help give him an edge.
I bet if you did a little digging you’d see all sorts of genetic quirks among top level Olympians. Weight lifters with surprisingly dense muscle fiber, skaters and gymnasts with extra-robust inner ears, target shooters with extraordinary eyesight. It’s not meant to take away from their talent or the work they’ve done, but it’s not any more surprising than seeing extraordinarily tall players in the NBA, or extraordinarily stocky NFL linebackers.
