That Guy: Black supremacy fast becoming a race issue

Opinion

As someone who feels comfortable in a tracksuit, I can't help but be impressed by the performance of sprinter Usain Bolt over the past week. He smashed his own records in both the 100m and 200m events and by doing so has, in all likelihood, become the fastest human to ever walk the planet. But there is one thing I can't tolerate, and that is blatant racism.

You don't need to be a top athlete to see that there was not one Pakeha or person of European descent in either final, yet how many people are brave enough to say it?

The media is focusing on the amazing times these athletes were able to produce, yet not one has focused on the fact it was a racially segregated sporting event.

I am not holding those athletes that raced directly responsible, but surely they must be aware of this, or are they like race horses with blinkers on, unable to distinguish the colour of those lining up beside them?

They are like ostriches as they run fast, but tend to bury their head in the sand when the race is over, and tough questions need to be answered ...

Turning a blind eye to this injustice surely makes them as guilty as those who created the system that allows the injustice to happen.

Many officials will say these events are run fairly, that the competitors in a 100m final are decided by times alone, and this is probably true, but does it make it right?

And if that is the case, is it at all surprising that no Pakeha runs times like Usain Bolt, when they never get the chance to prove themselves alongside the top competition?

It is competing with the best that gives top athletes the edge, and that is why cricket teams like New Zealand relish the opportunity to play Australia, why rugby minnows yearn to tackle the All Blacks and why I played squash with Kenny McFeast before he had his heart attack.

If Pakeha athletes don't get the opportunity to run in big races they will never improve. My research shows that because of this conundrum, the average speed of the Pakeha is likely to slow over the coming years in direct contrast to the athletes of African descent, who are clearly getting faster.

The only way to ensure that top athletics doesn't become any more racially segregated is to introduce a quota system that ensures a certain number of "white" athletes always get to compete at the top level. This kind of thing goes on all the time in all facets of life - why can't it happen in athletics?

So what can be done? I would like to see the introduction of CELs - Compulsory European Lanes - meaning that at top events, at least two "white" athletes must take the blocks in every major final.

One thing that would need to be clarified is the definition of "European descent" as we could quite easily get into a situation where we have inferior athletes who appear African playing the race card by claiming that they are "part" European as their great-grandfather on their mother's father's side was European.

In that situation we would still have a race in which every athlete is black in a visual sense, but two of them are likely to be running pretty slow times because they weren't fast enough to get in as legitimate black runners. Naturally this would be unfair to the two fast black athletes who had to be scratched to make room for two slower black athletes, making a mockery of the system.

Then of course we could insist that the two compulsory white lane athletes literally have to be "fairly white" in complexion, meaning officials would need to take into account a number of factors, including their heritage and ability to get a sun tan. We are beginning to get into a subjective and controversial area and we haven't even introduced the albino factor yet.

Perhaps it is easier just to stick with the fastest times for now.