Why does Jamaica have so many great track and field athletes?

(Baonghean.vn) -With his gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the Rio Olympics on Sunday, Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt became the first person to win the event three times.

The day before, in the same women's event, another Jamaican athlete, Elaine Thompson, also won the championship. Why can an island nation of only 2.7 million people produce so many excellent athletes, even defeating opponents from the United States?

In Jamaica, sprinting is considered a more popular traditional sport than football.

At the annual school athletics tournament called ''Champs'', athletes compete in packed stadiums and are televised live. Records at this youth event can surpass most of the best results achieved by athletes from other countries.

Usain Bolt celebrates his victory after crossing the finish line in the 100m race at the 2016 Olympics. Photo: The Guardian

Another reason is genetic. A 2010 study found that a gene linked to running in Jamaican sprinters makes their hearts larger than normal, allowing them to deliver oxygen to their muscles more quickly.

This gene appears at a higher frequency in Jamaicans compared to other West African or European people.

In addition, African-American athletes possess a special characteristic in their body structure: they possess muscle fibers with faster contraction properties, suitable for sprinting. In the list of 10 fastest runners in world history, all are black.

Jamaican athlete Elaine Thomp - the fastest woman on the planet. Photo: AP

However, in addition to the above reasons, there are still doubts about Jamaican athletes using stimulants in sports.

As doping control in Jamaica is not strict, some of their athletes have been involved in using these banned substances in the past such as Fraser-Pryce or Powell in 2013.

However, up to this point, no case of Jamaican athletes using doping at the 2016 Rio Olympics has been discovered.

Phan Vu

(According to Financial Times)