Per this sites recounting of Jewish athletic triumphs, there seemed to be a fair number of star Jewish track and field athletes around the turn of the last century in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, but there are relatively few Jewish athletic track and field stars today. Why so few?
It wasn’t just track- as conservative economist Thomas Sowell likes to say, “You know you’re old if you can remember when all the good basketball players were Jewish.”
Why so few Jews in track? Well, why are there so few fast white folks in general? I can’t recall the last time I saw a white American in the 100 meter dash finals at the Olympics, and there hasn’t been a top-notch white receiver in the NFL since Steve Largent retired.