The top "Black" athletes have physical abilities that exceed the abilities of the top "white" athletes, even though there are seven times more "white" people in the GenPop than there are Blacks. These abilities are basically hand and foot quickness, speed (different), and jumping ability. This superiority has nothing to do with training, dedication, or motivation; it just is.
Hence, Paul Essien's point has more than a little bit of validity, although his presentation could use a little polish.
To illustrate, American mens' tennis is in a pretty pathetic state now. Tennis is a sport that basically attracts middle and upper class white yoots. They are the only ones whose families have the financial wherewithal to buy the best equipment, get private lessons, access good playing facilities 12 months a year, and travel to competitions - all of which are required to develop a tennis player to his fullest potential.
But Black yoots have no interest and lack the financial resources. Imagine how good a tennis player Andrew McCutcheon would have been had his dad been a middle-class tennis fanatic like Richard Williams. Now multiply Andrew McCutcheon by THOUSANDS of Black yoots now playing basketball, football, track, etc. If American Blacks were as involved in tennis as they are in BB or FB, the U.S. would dominate the world. Same for hockey. Same for soccer.
It is an overstatement to say that those are "not sports" because Blacks don't participate in large numbers, but I would say that those sports are not entirely mature in the U.S., with our most promising demographic sitting on the sidelines.
As for the gymnast that is the subject of the OP, I suspect she is simply more mature now than she has been in the past, and she realizes how insane it is to risk your life and wellbeing day after day in pursuit of an Olympic gold. It makes sense when you are 18, but 24? She needs to go into coaching.
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