# The Double Standard of Explanatory Accounts for Sporting Excellence Associated with Populations

Gaudin Benoit

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## To cite this version:

Gaudin Benoit. The Double Standard of Explanatory Accounts for Sporting Excellence Associated with Populations. 2024 Sport and Discrimination Conference, UFR STAPS, Université de Franche-Comté, May 2024, Besançon, France. hal-05225968

HAL Id: hal-05225968

https://hal.science/hal-05225968v1

Submitted on 27 Aug 2025

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# The Double Standard of Explanatory Accounts for Sporting Excellence Associated with Populations

Benoit Gaudin

Laboratoire Printemps (UMR 8085 CNRS-UVSQ)

université
PARIS-SACLAY
Why do some populations excel in some sports?

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>All Blacks in rugby</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

In both cases, they are at world-leading levels

But the answer follows rather different ways
Explanatory frame n°1

* On East-African runners, everyone thinks “it’s about altitude”.

* But this is wrong.

* It is not altitude in itself, but a **change** in altitude that triggers a metabolic answer leading to an increase in the number of red cells in our body.

* For Ethiopian and Kenyan people, born at high altitudes, who grew up there and spent their whole life at high altitudes,

* there is **no change** in altitude,

* thus no hypoxic stress,

* thus no extra red cells in their blood.

• QED
Logic confirmed by science

* Prof. Cynthia Beall, Cave Western U., Iowa.

* Beall C. et al. (2002). An Ethiopian pattern of human adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia, *PNAS*, Dec. 24, vol. 99, no.26, 17215-18.

* "The sole study of **hemoglobin concentration** in a healthy, screened sample at 3530m in Ethiopia reported a hemoglobin concentration virtually **the same as found at sea level**"

* "The findings from the sole Ethiopian sample, at 3530m, are unique because the average **oxygen saturation** is **within normal sea level ranges**."

* These features can hardly be presented as an advantage for long-distance running competitions.

* African runners have no hematological or physiological advantage over other runners.
Findings supported by facts

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>1968 Olympics in Mexico city (2250m)
Mohamed Gammoudi (TUN) 5 000m gold medalist.
Behind him: Kip Keino and Naftali Temu (KEN)</figcaption></figure>

These are raw facts, not hypotheses.

**Frame n°1 doesn't hold.**
**Not in logic, nor in science, nor in facts.**

Julien
Wanders

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>

Molly Seidel
Explanatory frame n°2

* Why are the All Blacks so good at rugby?

* Ref: LESAGE Simon, « Pourquoi les All Blacks sont-ils si forts au rugby ? », *Le Monde*, 27 sept. 2019, https://www.lemonde.fr/rugby/video/2019/09/21/les-all-blacks-pourquoi-sont-ils-si-forts-au-rugby_6012529_1616937.html.

* A whole list of arguments:

* A long **history** of rugby in the country;

* Early **socialization** into the activity, leading to an early build-up of skills during adolescence;

* An **original matching system**, based on weight rather than age categories;

* Large **number of rugby fields** all over the country, including in schools;

* **National fans** supporting rugby, not football

* **Political** attributes such as “national identity”, “heritage” and “deep-rooted tradition”;

* **Myths and rites** like the haka, induction of new members.

* No biological argument

* A more convincing, consistent and evidence-based explanation
# Double standard

## Explanatory frame n°1
e.g. African runners

* Based on one single factor (altitude)

* Science

* only biological arguments

* Time span

* Evolution of the species – phylogenesis

* Champion

* Innate skills

* Lack of merit

* A mere representative of a population

* It could be any other one.

* Anonymous

* Analysis

* determinist and reductionist

## Explanatory frame n°2
e.g. New Zealand rugby players

* Multi-factorial

* Science

* Multiple social and human sciences

* Time span

* Life spanning growth – ontogenesis

* Champion

* Acquired skills

* Through work, motivation/passion

* Exceptionnal person

* Analysis

* comprehensive, contextualized
The political dimension of the double standard

* Coakley, Jay. (1994). *Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies*, McGraw Hill Education.

• The double standard follows **racial** lines.

* Héritier-Augé, Françoise. (1996). *Masculin/Féminin: La pensée de la différence*. Odile Jacob.

• Dividing humanity into binary categories always leads to a **hierarchy**.

* Guillaumin, Colette. (1992). *Sexe, Race et Pratique du pouvoir. L'idée de Nature*, Paris, Côté-femmes.

• This double standard applies to any **other discriminated minorities**.

• “naturalisation”, “biologisation”,

• Reducing a person to their body
Switching frames

* For the general public, resorting to Frame 1 might result from laziness or lack of knowledge.

* Easy "prêt à penser" explanation.

* But not for scientists.

* It's rather a question of ignorance, in the meaning of a refusal to take things into account.

* In the case of African runners, it is nothing else than white privilege. (Charles Mills, 2007).

* On other populations, we also hear the sound of Frame 1:

* Women explained by their hormones

* Disabled people explained by their chromosomes

* LGBTQIA+ explained by their genes

* any minoritized populations

* I suggest to search and chase any narrative using Frame 1 in sport

* And switch to Frame 2.
Applying Frame 2 to African
runners:

Benoit Gaudin

Coureurs de fond
est-africains

Comment expliquer leurs compétences sportives
individuelles et collectives ?

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Sports en Société

L'Harmattan
wock