Mutants

Yup, elite athletes are mutants. I knew no normal person could run a 100m in 8.58sec... even if they put in the training! So yeah, genetics does play a role in success in sports at the elite level. As the article points out, being crazy tall (the average NBA player is 6' 7") is advantageous in sports where you have to shoot a ball (or puck) in a net, while being crazy small (the average jockey weighs 115lb) is advantageous in sports where you're relying on something else for transportation (like a horse or boat)... and yes, I did generalize those rules. Having exceptionally long arms is good for grabbing other people to take them down (aka fighting), an enlarged left ventricle never hurt endurance athletes, ridiculously large feet are good for swimming, and the ability to push off the ground with 2.5x your body weight (while most people can must just a measly 2x) gives you the needed edge in sprinting.