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When the African-American athletes of the U.S. men’s 4 X 100-meter relay team
finished second at the 1996 Olympics, they were harshly criticized. It was as if
they had let the country down.
At the same time, white American males in the 1,500, 5,000, 10,000, race walking,
and marathon events were shut out of the medal count by huge margins, and barely a
whimper of criticism was heard.
The bottom line
Simply put, we expect more from our black runners than white runners—a
racial divide that is undermining our shot at running excellence. Until we place
the same demands on white track and field athletes that we place on black
athletes, we will not get comparable results. That’s because African
Americans, who comprise 10 percent of the American population, are expected
to provide 90 percent of the medals.
Don’t get me wrong, high demands are critical for success in competitive
events, regardless of race. It’s partially because we do have such aggressive
competitive standards for blacks that we get these prophecy-fulfilling results.
But somewhere in this double standard there’s a message. Perhaps that is
why Craig Masback, CEO of USA Track and Field, asked if I would participate in
a summit of experts to explore how the U.S. can obtain elite performances from
its track and field athletes. I believe we cannot expect increased elite
performances until we eliminate the racist demands we place on blacks,
meaning we should hold both blacks and whites equally responsible for winning
medals.
The root of the problem
This racial disparity can be traced to the 1968 Olympic Games. African runners
dominated, prompting white American middle-distance runners to concede the
middle- and long distances to them, and rationalize their shortcomings by wrongly
conceding Africans are genetically better. Americans Jim Ryun (1,500) won silver
and George Young (3,000) won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympics, losing to
Kenyans. Ryun was the favorite in the 1,500, and like the 4 X 100 relay team
in 1996, he was harshly criticized for allowing an African to beat him. Back
then, few people realized how good African runners were, even though an Ethiopian
won the marathon in 1960 and 1964.
Sadly, Ryun was the last American male middle distance runner we’ve looked
to for a medal. Even more telling, Ryun’s and Young’s finishes to
Kenyans would be considered a great accomplishment in the 2000 Games. For
almost 30 years, Americans have been wallowing in mediocrity because we
stopped making high, realistic demands on middle- and long-distance athletes.
The secret for America to reclaim its middle- and long-distance running status is
to go “Back to the Future.” We have to put the same demands and
expectations on today’s athletes as we did Ryun in 1968, whether that
athlete is black, white, male, or female.
Telling figures
We also need coaching and training regimens that recognize the reality of track
and field—that is, “Speed Kills!”—especially those who
don’t have it. The world record for the 5,000 averages close to 4:02 a
mile. We have American Olympic 5,000 runners who cannot run 4:02 for a mile
period.
Consider this: The last lap of the 1992 Olympic 1,500 race was 50:50. We have
1,500 runners on our Olympic team who cannot run that time fresh—with a
running start. Back in ’68, Ryun was capable of sub-47 seconds for the 400
and sub-22 seconds for the 200. Our best chance for future improvement in the
middle- and long distances relies on a greater appreciation of what worked in
the past, and applying them in all events in track and field.
Here’s another example of the racial divide: Rod DeHaven, the winner of the
U.S. Olympic marathon trials, will be the sole American male representative for
the 2000 Games in Sydney. Because DeHaven did not run a sub-2:14 race, the minimum
Olympic Games’ standard, two other American Olympic-caliber marathoners
will stay home (Olympic rules allow only one representative per event if the
trial’s winner doesn’t meet the minimum cut-off time). Contrast this
with the fact the 100th ranked Kenyan marathoner has run an Olympic marathon
standard. He, along with 96 other Kenyans capable of running Olympic times, will
stay home.
So, there you have it. American track and field is hamstrung by a sharp racial
divide, low expectations, and improper training. Those are the problems, now we
have to work on the solutions. In a forthcoming article I will explore some
options.
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