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New Book Links Athletes’ Success to Supportive Talent Ecosystems
Anirudh Krishna wanted to understand why some places produce many great athletes.
He studied Jamaica, which has produced many successful sprinters, and Haryana, which has produced many Olympic wrestlers.
He says this is not simply because people there have special genes.
Instead, these places created systems that help find and train talented children.
In Jamaica, schools hold athletics competitions and the biggest event is called the Champs.
In Haryana, young wrestlers can train at akharas without paying training fees.
Athletes can also receive government jobs, giving them another career if sport does not work out.
Krishna says many groups must work together to create these opportunities.
Anirudh Krishna spent a decade studying why some places repeatedly produce exceptional athletes and other forms of talent.
His research argues that genetics, geography and culture alone cannot explain Jamaica’s sprinting success or Haryana’s wrestling record.
Jamaica’s athletics system begins with school competitions and culminates in the national high-school championships known as the Champs.
Haryana’s wrestling ecosystem includes free akhara training and government jobs for athletes who reach a certain level.
Krishna says lasting success depends on open access and cooperation among governments, schools, clubs, federations, universities and civil society.
- Who
- Anirudh Krishna, along with research assistants and students, studied athletes’ success; the examples include Jamaican sprinters and Haryana wrestlers such as Sushil Kumar.
- What
- Krishna’s book examines how societies identify, develop and sustain exceptional talent.
- Where
- The research focuses on Jamaica and Haryana in India, with Krishna’s initial question arising at Duke University.
- When
- The inquiry lasted about a decade; the discussion includes athletic results through 2024.
- Why
- Krishna sought to explain why certain places repeatedly produce high-achieving athletes and concluded that supportive ecosystems matter more than genetics alone.
Ecosystem-Based Explanation
Genetic, Geographic or Cultural Explanation
Why Jamaica produces sprinters
Ecosystem-Based Explanation
Krishna argues that Jamaica’s later emergence as a sprinting power reflects an ecosystem built over roughly 40 years, including school competitions and the Champs.
Genetic, Geographic or Cultural Explanation
Genetics, geography and culture were suggested as possible explanations, but Krishna says they do not adequately account for Jamaica’s record.
Why Haryana excels in wrestling
Ecosystem-Based Explanation
Krishna attributes Haryana’s results to a dense network of free-training akharas, government support and cooperation between civil society and institutions.
Genetic, Geographic or Cultural Explanation
The article notes that wrestling exists across India, implying that the state’s dominance could otherwise be attributed to broad local traditions or culture; Krishna rejects that as a sufficient explanation.
How talent systems should work
Ecosystem-Based Explanation
Krishna advocates open access, special measures for less-privileged people and soft landings that help athletes move into other careers.
Genetic, Geographic or Cultural Explanation
A system focused only on sporting performance can leave unsuccessful athletes without alternatives after years of training.
Key facts
- Book
- Why Kenyans Win Marathons and Estonians Build Unicorns: Excellence, Opportunity and Development in the 21st Century
- Research period
- About a decade
- Jamaica’s independence
- 1962
- Jamaican talent pathway
- School athletics meets lead to the national high-school championships known as the Champs.
- Haryana wrestling record
- Five of India’s eight Olympic wrestling medals through 2024 came from Haryana.
- Training access
- Haryana akharas charge no training fees, while families cover nutrition and other monthly expenses.
- Career support
- Athletes reaching a certain level in Haryana qualify for government jobs.
Quotes
Anirudh Krishna
Author and researcher who studied the conditions producing athletic and other forms of excellence.
“How can a country with just three million people produce a succession of the world’s fastest runners?”
indianexpress.com
“What distinguishes Jamaica from many other countries is what happens after school.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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