Do you think you have the quick reflexes to take on renowned boxer Nicola Adams? Or always crossed the finish line first at sports day and wonder if you had the speed of track star Kriss Akabusi or the competitiveness of swimmer Ellie Simmonds?
Ancestry, one of the world’s largest family history companies, is celebrating the start of the 2024 Olympics on Friday 26 July by testing the DNA of fifteen world-class athletes – and allowing customers to compare their test results.
Ancestry has added more than 30 new performance traits, including self-discipline, speed and hand-eye coordination, to the results of its AncestryDNA + Traits test.
The results of the athletes’ DNA tests showed that many of them were born with traits that naturally enhance their performance. For example, all gymnasts studied were more likely to have physical flexibility, 83% of the track and field athletes were more likely to be sprinters than endurance runners and 60% of the swimmers were more likely to be able to hold their breath for a long time.
However, natural ability wasn’t necessarily make-or-break for the athletes. 60% were unlikely to have the athleticism trait, and Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Nicola Adams was unlikely to have good hand-eye coordination. This suggests that dedicated training was also important. Mental toughness was also crucial – 88% of the athletes were likely to be competitive and 69% were likely to be self-confident.
As well as Nicola Adams, the athletes featured include swimmer Ellie Simmonds, athlete Kriss Akabusi, gymnasts Gabby Douglas and Nastia Liukin, volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings and sprinter Michael Johnson.
Nicola Adams said: “Seeing that I am more likely to be disciplined and focused makes complete sense because I have the genetic traits for persistence and focus and those qualities have always come easier to me. Other skills, like my hand-eye coordination, took more practice — and now I know that could be a result of my DNA. I wish I had these insights earlier on in my career! I would encourage all people to check out this new tool from Ancestry and see how they stack up to other inspiring athletes this summer.”
If you have already taken an AncestryDNA + Traits test, you can now compare your test results with those of the athletes.
Simply visit the website, click ‘DNA’ in the navigation bar, then choose ‘Compare’ in the drop down menu and go straight to the ‘World Class Athletes’ experience tab. AncestryDNA customers can upgrade their results to explore all traits instantly by adding a Family History subscription, a DNA Plus membership, or a Traits add-on.
If you haven’t taken an AncestryDNA + Traits test, the test is on sale until Sunday 11 August for £69 (£25 off).
The traits will be live until Thursday 31 October 2024.