Run-Down Forums

[graeme]

I was really surprised with that race... Too bad for Chambers and MLF. On the brighter side, a Canadian got bronze

[Conway]

Justin you lucky dog !!!! Sounds like one awesome race ... The time is not great by todays standards, but the race itself sounds like it was one of those full of anticipation ...

Sorry to hear about MLF and Chambers ... As I have said before I just don't see Chambers as the man ... This is status quo for him when it comes to finals of big meets ... Now MLF I had tabbed as teh winner ... Too bad his body gave way ... I hope it is not serious ... You never know with a hamstring ... Could be back next week ... Or in two years ... Those are touchy muscles ...

Wish I could see it ...

[Paul]

National Record for Collins, I am assuming this is his first dip under 10.00?? MLF's reaction time was stellar, about as good as it gets. With the showing of GBR's favorites, how do you think this will affect training regimens for the next 2 years (Olympics). On the surface, there seems to be a failure to be able to handle 4 races in 2 days.
By the way, the official UK.ORG site is excellent.

Paul

[Conway]

The UK site is nice ... I like it myself ... Not osure how this is going ot affect training ... Lewis Francis is young and perhaps his body just wasn't ready yet ... Right now is is having to run near his PR in every round ... Of course the same could be said of Chambers ... When your best is around 10.00 and you are running at 10.05 to 10.10 each round it takes a toll ... Chambers however is another story as he constantly finds himself "cramping" in major races ... Sounds like either poor preparation or mental to me .. One of the reasons I have not tabbed him as Britains hope ...

Conway

[Justin]

Chambers suffered from cramp, a problem he has had intermittently in recent years, including in Sydney. There was such a short gap between semi and final in Manchester - just 75 minutes for Chambers - that he didn't have time to re-hydrate. Apparently the problem is so severe that the UK team doctors are considering putting him on a drip between rounds in future to make sure he gets properly hydrated and gets the right nutrients.

Lewis-Francis has a torn (torn, not pulled or strained) hamstring - a serious injury which usually sidelines an athlete for months rather than weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that MLF was coming past Collins when he pulled up. That means he was heading for sub 10 (something no teenager has ever achieved and which MLF now won't do either as he turns 20 on Sep 4th). The strain was too much for his still-growing body. He's had hamstring, groin and knee troubles this year and has also grown nearly 2 inches in height - I guess we should not be surprised by injuries, just sad at the timing. MLF was really distraught - crying and punching the track. I hope the experience just makes him meaner.

Chambers will run the EC, MLF won't. Gardener will get MLF's 100m spot while the 4th relay berth will be between Devonish and Malcolm.

Michael Johnson has been commentating for BBC and he is absolutely excellent - articulate, insightful and amusing. He not only knows about track but he also does his homework - he knew all the UK runners and made intelligent comments about them all. A real pleasure.

This has been a wonderful event already - EVERY session has been packed out and while the cheering for the Brits takes the roof off, athletes from everywhere have been commentating at how friendly and warm the crowd is. UK track fans tend to be quite well informed as well so good field event performances are cheered as well. On the first morning there were at least 20,000 in the stadium just watching the end of the Heptathlon high jump while Kim Collins was cheered and applauded the whole way round his lap of honour despite the English disappointment, at least in part becayse Collins is a charming and friendly man - a very popular winner. He was a delight in post-race interviews and is obviously a really nice guy.

Tonight - hopes for Daniel Caines in the 400m. His 44.98 best in the semis was VERY easy but he'll have to knock a few tenths off if he wants to win. Jonathan Edwards also competes, as does national heroine Paula Radcliffe (the noise during the 5000m will be unbelievable).

Justin

[Justin]

Postscript - as I typed the last post MLF came on TV giving a press conference. He had cramp too, not a tear, and so may well run in Munich. Good news.

Tell you something - MLF burns with a deep desire to win titles. He really, really, really wants to be the best sprinter in the world. I've never seen such burning passion in a young athlete. He is afraid of no-one.

I'll say it here - Lewis-Francis is the best young sprinter the world has seen for at least as long as I've been following the 100m, which is 20 years. He has unbelievable top end speed and that burning desire I mentioned. He will run 9.7x within a few years. Greene knows who his successor is - it's just a case of how long Mo can keep MLF at bay.

Justin

[Conway]

What timing ... I was just logging on to the site to ask for your recount of the 100 meters ... I have had several versions of the race with everything from both MLF and Chambers faked to only Chambers faked to MLF was making his move to Collins was clearly going to be the winner !!!!

One thing is for certain - it was the most eagerly awaited matchup world wide since Mo and MJ in 2000 !!!!

I'll stick by my guns and say that MLF is Britains best ... Have believed it from the start of the season and still do ... He has all the tools ... And he has IT that internal drive/will that not everyone has ... I believe Chambers wants to win (lots of people want to win) but not like Mo does or MJ did or MLF seems to ... Everyone gets lucky every once in a while, but only true (repeat) champions have IT !!!!!

[Justin]

The Mo vs MJ analogy is accurate in other ways of course...neither finished!

Paula Radcliffe just won a wonderful 5k in 14:31, just 2 secs off the WR. She ran alone for all but the first few laps, it was absolutely awesome. But for a slow couple of laps at the start she would have broken the WR for sure. It was just great, wonderful. She won by 22 secs from Edith Masai, who ran along with her for a few laps but obviously settled for silver when Radcliffe stepped it up - that's what Radcliffe has now, she generates fear in her competitors - how do you beat someone who can run 2:18 for the Marathon and 8:22 for the 3k?

As I watch (live now), Phillips Idowu has jumped 17.68 in the triple, only for Jonathan Edwards to jump 17.86 next round.

Hopes high for an English treble with Daniel Caines in the 400m - the crowd alone will lift him, the noise is just incredible - think Sydney when Cathy Freeman ran to get an idea of the intensity of the support...

Justin

[Justin]

Not quite...slow but good race:

Michael Blackwood 45.09
Shane Niemi
Arvard Moncur 45.12
Daniel Caines

I think the 4 rounds in 3 days got to Caines...he ran 44.98 in the semi, the only sub 45 of the tournament (NB Michael Johnson is being very polite!).

Phew. Good day. Lots more to come...

Justin

[Conway]

A little disapppointed in the 400 ... With Blackwood and Moncur I expected a little better ... Something in the 44.6 or 44.7 range at least ... Oh well ...

How did the 200 runners look ??? Times kinda so so, but then not a lot of horses out there ... Anyone say why Collins withdrew ??? I think Fredericks in 19.95 with Malcom 20.10 ... What's the latest on MLF and Chambers ???

[Conway]

Looks like Fredericks is beginning to taek hold of the 200 ... 20.34 in his semi and apparently in control form what I read ... How has Buckland looked ??? I had expected him to be very good after the season he had last year ... But something doesn't seem right about him ... Malcolm and Campbell are stil there ... Do you think they will fill out the medals with Frankie ???

[Justin]

Some more great action tonight in Manchester.

Men's 200m:

20.06 Fredericks
20.19 Devonish
20.21 Campbell
20.21 Demeritte
20.29 Zakari
20.35 Nagel
20.36 Batangon
20.39 Malcolm

Fredericks dominated from lane 5; Campbell had lane 8 after a poor semi but ran superbly; Devonish finished stronger than anyone. Malcolm had lane 2 after poor qualiying in which he never quite looked at his best. Still, 20.39 is a season's best for him. Campbell was very emotional - he's from Manchester and has had terrible injury troubles so it meant everything to him to get a medal.

Women's 200m won by Debbie Ferguson in 22.21 - superb performance, very dominant to complete the sprint double.

Women's 800m, very good race with 7 under 2 minutes, headed by Mutola in 1:57.35. Charlotte Moore of England was 6th in 1:59.75...and she's only 17! She was a surprise qualifier for the Games and surprised everyone with 2:00.95 in the semi to make the final. Make a note of the name...

Justin

[Conway]

I'm very happy for Frankie ... It has been a hard road back for him ... And he is looking very good .. Malcolm last in 20.39 !!! Says a lot for the quality of the race ... Comparable to any major meet results so far in the new millenium outside of the US championships ...

And Debbie Ferguson right now may be hte best doubler out there for hte women !!! P-Block didn't do the double last week after her 10.83 and Marion hasn't doubled that well this year ... Not to mention that she would now have to be considered a challenger to those two !!!

Ya know Bitain looks as good in this event as they do in the 100 !!! Too bad the 200 doesn't get more press and attention ...

And a sub 2:00 17 year old !!! That is prety awesome ... Kim Gallagher is our HS record holder at something like 2:00.07 ... And she went on to run 1:56.xx ... And she had ot leave the sport early ... So hopefully good things for this young lady !!!!

Conway

[Distance_Guru]

I know this is of very little significanice to anyone out there except me, but anyway. Micheal Aish the Western State College runner finnished 8th in the 10k 28:35 and 12th in the 5k 13:45 at the Commonwealth Games running for New Zealand. Boy am I glad that guy is out of eligibility.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn

[Dan]

I got to see a bit of the Commonwealths while in Vancouver, but I was surprised at the lack of depth to the coverage. For example, India was 4th in the medal count and I believe had more golds than Canada, yet I don't recall seeing a single Indian athlete shown the entire time! If I didn't know better, I would have thought only Australia, England, Canada, and New Zealand attended... What they did show was well done, but it was very US-ish coverage -- taped, packaged, edited, recap'd...

I saw the men's 100 race and was not at all impressed with Chambers' form, especially early. He looked to be the fastest in the field and overcame the bad start mid-race, but fell apart quickly. MLF seemed in control of the race much of the way, with Collins looking like a 3rd place performer had his competition not come up lame. Sort of anti-climatical, I must say.

Dan