there are natural athletes, that 16 year old lad that set records in the swimming for the usa, and of course thorpe in 2000 for aus (size 17 feet)
tyson as a young man was as wide as he was tall.
going back, wade dooley was a big lad (union i think)
diet and neutrician coupled with a better understanding of exercise and muscle development has seen the average ergonomics of the modern day person alter drastically compared with 50 years ago.
indurain had/has abnormal lungs if i recall correctly, he was able to absorb more oxygen and hence was able to push harder for longer, it also helped in the sprints when fast twitch muscle fiber needed rapid recuperation.
mark spitz won five olympic gold medals, now the times he won with wouldnt qualify him for the final.
steve redgrave is a big lad same with pinsent, i suppose the bare bones of an athlete have to be there to be developed and honed so as to compete at the top level.
