WATCHING Eurosports on cable television as the European Athletics Championships began in Barcelona early this week, I got the inspiration to write on the new French sprint prodigy, Christophe Lemaitre, who at 20, won the 100 metres gold by dusting a powerful field which included Britain’s Dwain Chambers and Francis Obikwelu of Portugal.

Early this year, Lemaitre made history by becoming the first white man to run the 100 metres in under 10 seconds, a magical feat which black sprinters had achieved 42 years ago.

Was it not at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games that Jim Hines of the United States of America broke the ten seconds barrier by returning 9.95 seconds, a world record which lasted into the 1980’s?

Since then scores of world class sprinters from across the globe have been assaulting the barrier successfully till Jamaica’s Usain Bolt lowered the mark to 9.58 seconds.

Black Americans, Carribeans, Latinos, Africans - majority of them Nigerians - Olapade Adeniken, Davidson Ezinwa, Deji Aliu, Uchenna Emedolu, Daniel Effiong had run the 100 metres in under ten seconds, but no white man, until Lemaitre burst unto the scene, this year.

Since the short sprint 100 yards, later 100metres, made its debut at the Olympic Games in 1896 blacks have been dominating the race except for four interruptions in 1908 when Reginald Walker of South Africa, 1960 Armin Hary of Germany, 1972, Valery Borzov of the Soviert Union and 1980 Allan Wells of Great Britain won the race above 10 seconds. But from 1984 when the likes of Carl Lewis of USA took over, the race has remained permanently sub 10 seconds under the scorching feet of black sprinters.

Is the black race genetically more suited to speed and the white to endurance race? A British medical student Roger Bannister on 6th May, 1954 gave a glimpse of an answer when he became the first man, to run the mile in under 4 minutes. There was a rash of white long distance runners who dominated then scene until the 1960s when Africans -  Ethiopians, Kenyans, Tanzanians, Tunisians, Moroccans grabbed the initiatives from them.

Experts in sports science will have to do a lot of research to determine the relative relationship of each athletic event to human race. For example, in events that require a lot of techniques - javelin, shot put, discus, hammer - white athletes are miles ahead of the black. I often wonder why in high jump, long jump, triple jump and the hurdles the black have an edge but pole vault seems to be a no-go area for the black. Have you ever seen a black person win an Olympic Gold in pole vault?

Breaking new grounds is the essence of sports, and the Americans are investing a great deal in middle and long distances races, to cut down the lead of Africans. Nigeria have been the only shinning stars in the sprints, both men and women, but our grip on the world stage has been slipping. Nigerians have tremendous talents for sprinting as most world rated sprinters from the USA and West Indies trace their root to Nigeria, especially the south west. But like all other endeavours, these talents are lying fallow and untapped. France have produced Christophe Lemaitre the first white sub ten seconds sprinter, and the rest of athletics world should take note.

MAILBOX

WHAT a mindset. Your conclusion (NFF: TIME FOR REVOLUTION 25 July) is a good summary of Duke’s position (Ex-Governor Donald Duke) on election “rigging” written in the same issue of the TRIBUNE. Kunle Olaifa, Lagos + 234805531885.
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My good friend The Grandmaster General Fabio Lanipekun. I thank you for ALL your contributions on what to do before Nigeria football can come out from its present level to greater height in the world. So also must it be for the way of picking coaches for the national job. Is Siasia the BEST Coach for Eagles job? Yours forever Niyi Akande, Technical Adviser Crown FC Ogbomoso + 2348079994978
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Thank you, Niyi. Coaching has become a revolving chair. Siasia like you is an ex-international and now given the opportunity to coach the national team just like you did with the women national team some few years ago. We can only wish him the best.