There were more than eleven thousand athletes who competed at the 2020 Olympics, but only just over a thousand medals were awarded. With about one hundred and sixty nations competing in just over 300 events and only a small percentage earning medals, only the elite can win gold. What causes certain countries to do well in specific sports? Is it nature or nurture?
BOXING
Cuba won first place in boxing in the 2020 Olympics. For decades, Cubans have dominated the Olympic boxing ring with their own unique style. However, professional boxing is banned in Cuba, so they stick to amateur boxing. All primary and secondary schools in Cuba have physical education as a compulsory subject with five sports taught in all secondary schools: track and field, baseball, basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball.
Cuba began competing in the Olympics in 1960. Cuban boxer Teófilo Stevenson won the first heavyweight boxing gold medal for Cuba in 1972. Because Stevenson wasn’t allowed to turn pro in Cuba, he turned down many huge offers, including the opportunity to fight Muhammad Ali, who is, according to ESPN, “widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.” In 1974, Stevenson said, “What’s a million dollars against 8 million Cubans who love me?” Cuba may have fewer medals overall in boxing than the United States, but they have won more medals in less time. For the boxers from Cuba, it seems that nurture may be the more important factor.
SPEED SKATING
The 2018 Winter Olympics speed skating events were controlled by the Dutch. The sport of skating in general is popular in the Netherlands, nurturing a positive environment for the sport. The people of the Netherlands are the tallest in the world, which may give them an advantage on the ice. The average Dutch man and woman are 6’ and 5’7” respectively, while in comparison, the average American man is 5’9”, and the average American woman is 5’4. Having longer legs in speed skating provides more contact with the ice as the skater pushes, also allowing for longer strides.
Sven Kramer of the Netherlands stands at 6’2” and is the most decorated speed skater in Olympic Winter Games history with nine Olympic speed skating medals. He is the first man to win the 5,000m three times in a row. He also has more single distance and all-round world titles than anyone else. Kramer comes from Heerenveen, a city that is “one of the cradles of speed skating” and regularly hosts important speed skating competitions such as the World Championships. His father was also a professional speed skater, which no doubt influenced his love of the sport. In 2005, Kramer set a world record in Salt Lake City (USA) in the 5,000m, and he has since improved that record several times.
SPRINTING
Nature plays an important role for Jamaican sprinters. Only fourteen medals are up for grabs in the Olympic sprinting events. Every Summer Olympics, Jamaica takes at least half or more of those medals, making the country a sprinting superpower. Anyone interested in the world of sprinting has heard the name Usain Bolt. According to many sources, he is the fastest sprinter of all time. 
What makes Bolt and other Jamaican sprinters so good at what they do? It has been discovered that 98% of Jamaicans have a single or double copy of what is known as the ACTN3 gene. ACTN3 is the gene found only in fast-twitch muscle fibers, which allow for a powerful and quick rush of energy or speed. In contrast, there is a ACTN3-deficient gene in 20% of the population. To have the deficient gene means one’s body does not produce those fast-twitch muscle fibers. Studies have shown that of those tested, no Olympic power athletes, like sprinters, have the ACTN3-deficient gene. In contrast, most Jamaican runners do have the ACTN3 gene.
Nature and nurture are both at play for Olympic athletes. It seems one complements the other, greatly affecting and enhancing performance and athletic ability.