Subject: RE: Curious, are there any top triathletes that have a high lbs to inches in height ratio (> 2.6) JonnyRingo84 - 2010-09-17 7:24 AM There's exceptions to everything.
For instance, many people consider super fast sprinters to be stocky muscular guys that can just absolutely power their way through 100m....enter 6'5" Usain Bolt.
A lot of people think big time power pitchers in baseball have to be 6'5" like Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan....enter 5'9" Billy Wagner.
It's all about making the best of what you've got. Lance Armstrong may be the greatest cyclist ever at 5'9" 175lbs (2.54 so borderline to your 2.6 threshold). Compare that to Andy Schleck who's 6'1" 150lbs (just barely over a 2.0) and Alberto Contador who is 5'9" 130lbs (1.88!!). While Schleck and Contador are great, I don't think anyone would say they're better endurance athletes than Lance ever was just because they have the more "typical" build. LA doesn't actually race at 175, normally. More like 165, down to 160 or lower by the end of a multi-stage race. Under "2.4" by the terms we're using in this thread. I've seen indications out there on the Interwebs that his ideal weight during competition in his prime was as low as 150 (2.17 ). Still a higher BMI than a lot of other premiere road cyclists, but nowhere near "stocky." I don't think Lance is a particularly good example of a short, stocky guy who is fast. (What he is, though, is a good example of the sort of physique for which BMI is misleading...densely muscled with very low BF. ) |