athletics inside
ISSUE 07 NOV 08
olympic wrap HOW OUR AUSSIE ATHLETES COMPETED
GREAT AUS RUN
RUN WTH THE BEST IN THE WORLD!
NATIONAL XC WINTER COMES TO AN END
PLUS: hamstring injuries NSW SHORT COURSE XC CITY TO SURF RESULTS STATE CROSS COUNTRY THE LATEST NEWS & GEAR
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MORE!
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Percentage change (± SD) in fastest sprint time
Change in sprint time
*
With Skins™ long tights No Skins™
Baseline Day
Performance effects of wearing compression garments (Skins™) during exercise and recovery. Argus CK, The Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand. This research studied the effect of Skins™ on a large number of parameters over a 7 day period. Significant improvements were found in repeated sprint times at days 2 and 7; greater concentric and eccentric strength and lower post exercise pain. * Denotes small worthwhile positive effect.
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contents
thletics athletics
Issue 07 NOV 2008
4 editorial 5 TOP performancEs 5 MAKING TRACKS 6 AROUND THE TRACKS
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7 GEAR TO GO 9 SHOE REVIEWS 10 speed machines THE 100M IN FOCUS
12 HOOKED ON SUCCESS
GOLD FOR HOOKER!
17 OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS ALL THE RESULTS
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32 GREAT AUSTRALIA RUN GEB’S ON HIS WAY!
36 HAMSTRING INJURIES
RECOVERY TECHNIQUES
40 NATIONAL X-COUNTRY WINTER COMES TO AN END
44 RELAYS & SHORT COURSE
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STATE CHAMPS RESULTS
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thletics athletics
Welcome!
ONE YEAR ON & STILL GROWING!
MEET BEN LIDDY Having been a middle distance runner for 15 years Ben has a strong knowledge of the sport, coupled with professional qualifications in Physiotherapy and Exercise and Sports Science. As an athlete Ben was a national finalist in the 800m in 2002 and holds a pb of 1:50.16. He continues to compete for Sydney University Athletics Club. Currently employed by Precision Physio in Surrey Hills, Ben has a strong interest in sports physio, having completed work experience with the Brisbane Lions and South Sydney Rabbitohs during his studies. “I’m particularly interested in working with athletes as I can understand the frustrations associated with time away from training and competition.” Editor Tim McGrath production & DESIGN David Byrne Photography Getty Images, Dave Byrne, Tim McGrath, Kel Bradstock (Photos in a Flash) editorial Tim McGrath, Ben Liddy, Emma Rilen and David Byrne CONTACT US For any advertising or editorial enquiries please email: insideathletics@nswathletics.org.au *This publication is editorial in nature and does not necessarily represent the views of Athletics NSW or Athletics Australia
This is the seventh edition of Inside Athletics – the first of its second year of production. I feel proud that the magazine has grown in distribution and recognition over this time without compromising its quality or original goals of informing, promoting and showcasing our sport. A lot has happened in the past year. Our first edition gave a wrap up of the Osaka World Championships – an event where the Australian team didn’t exactly set the world alight. In this edition we are able to celebrate the sensational performances of the team at the Olympic Games. I was not fortunate enough to be in Beijing for the Games, although I was lucky enough to get a taste of the form Steve Hooker was to show in China’s capital from his performances in his last two competitions in Paris (victory in 5.75m) and London (second in 5.97m) leading into the Games. People who I have spoken to who were in Beijing to see the man jump have described it as one of the most amazing things they have ever seen in sport. I trust that the coverage which Channel Seven gave to it ‘live’ didn’t do it full justice – although I must admit in terms of emotion and suspense, to my surprise, that the yell which I let out in my motel room in Geelong (on the night prior to the national cross country championships) when I saw his winning clearance didn’t wake the entire building! Likewise, I can’t express the brilliance of Sally McLellan’s performance. In my last editorial I hinted at the ability she had – I had seen what she had done to a world class field at the London Grand Prix. As soon as I was back in Australia I told my some of my very good friends, people very well versed in athletics, that I thought Sally would medal in Beijing. They thought my enthusiasm was admirable, but quietly laughed, thinking it was too soon for it to be her time. By the end of her final the only thing they were laughing about was her post race interview – something which I think we all found amusing but which a 21 year old Olympic silver medalist will gladly put up with for the rest of her life. It would be remiss of me not to mention the efforts of Jarrod Tallent, the first Australian in since Raelene Boyle in 1972 to win more than one medal in athletics at the same Games. All three medalists will be around in four year’s time in London together with many of the teammates, over half of whom made their debut in Beijing. The future of Australian athletics looks bright. The Olympics excite and inspire athletes, which was clearly evident in the record number of over 1800 athletes who contested the NSW All Schools Championships at the end of September. The challenge for our sport is to keep the brilliant talent, which saw 19 meet records broken, involved in the sport for the next decade. We hope you like the new, streamlined design of Inside Athletics. It’s part of exciting plans we have for the magazine over the next year.
Tim McGrath
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top AUSSIE PERFORMANCes
M ACKS AKING TR MAKING TRACKS KARLIE MORTON
STEVE HOOKER There’s little writing needed to describe this edition’s athlete of the month - an Olympic gold medal is an easy choice. It’s something that only four Australian’s have managed in the last forty years. Due to its global reach, athletics doesn’t have the same success for Australia in the Olympic as sports such as swimming. With Nathan Deakes and Jana Rawlinson unable to compete in Beijing due to injury, the nation’s expectations for gold in the Olympic’s pinnacle sport rested upon Hooker’s broad shoulders. He didn’t disappoint.
Competing at the NSW All Schools Championships UTS Norths’ athlete Karlie Morton shaved twelve hundredths of a second off the meet record in the 15 years 200m with a run of 24.56 seconds. The 15 year old Cromer High school student has set her sights this season on a good performance at the Pacific School Games and qualifying for the Australian team for next year’s World Youth Championships.
MITCHELL TYSOE 16-year-old Erina High student Mitchell Tysoe combined the swift sprinting speed which saw him capture a 10.93/22.17 sprint double with his fluid hurdling style to slash four tenths of a second off the meet record in the 110m hurdles with a run of 14.07 seconds. Tysoe, who competes for Gosford Athletics Club, has targeted winning medals in the Pacific School Games.
ANNALIESE GARDINER
RYAN GREGSON We don’t like to heap too much praise onto one athlete, especially a junior, but a 3:41.14 run over 1500m as a teenager is exceptional. The run is equivalent to a sub fourminute mile – a mark which Herb Elliott famously became the first teenager to break. Shoes, tracks and training methods have changed dramatically since then but don’t take away from the quality of Gregson’s performance.
Sydney Pacific’s Annaliese Gardiner has a difficult decision to make over the next few years: which event to specialise in. At the recent All School Championships the 16 year old Abbotsleigh student took out the sprint double and finished second in the long jump. Gardiner forewent the opportunity to race the hurdles at the All Schools to focus on the flat events and is looking forward to making her debut over 400m hurdles later in the season.
www.runnerstribe.com
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AROUND THE TRACKS Remembering a Legend Peter Coe, the father and coach of perhaps the greatest middle distance runner in history, Sebastian Coe, died on 9 August, aged 88. Coe the elder, an engineer by trade, took up coaching when Seb showed talent as a junior athlete. He ended up guiding him to two Olympic gold over 800m, two Olympic silver over 1500m and eleven world records. Coe’s engineering background led to a systematic and scientific approach to training – one which would revolutionise middle distance running. In his book Better Training for Distance Runners, co-authored by noted exercise physiologist Dr David Martin, he emphasised the need for year round development of all energy systems required for middle distance running by way of multi-paced training. In particular Coe stressed the importance of speed development. Endurance will get a runner to the finish line, but endurance with speed will get a runner there first. If speed is important, then never venture very far away from it. - Peter Coe High Heel Race
World junior 4x400m silver medalist Brittney McGlone had a golden day recently at Circular Quay, where she took victory in the world’s largest ever race contested by women in three inch high stilettos. McGlone won $5000 and a pair of Terry Biviano stilettos after easily taking out the 80m race.
Gebreselassie to Race in Melbourne World record holder in the marathon, Haile Gebreselassie, is set to compete in Australia for the first time since his epic victory over Paul Tergat in the 10000m at the Sydney Olympics. Gebreselassie is the headline act in the Great Australian Run, a 15km road race which will be held in Melbourne on 30 November. “I have wonderful memories back to 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. It was the best race ever I’ve run in my athletics career,” Gebrselassie said when his participation was announced. “The people of Australia, they love to watch sport, especially athletics. Melbourne is a big town, a big city and I’ll love to compete there.” The race is part of a worldwide fanchise developed by British distance great Brendan Foster, who held the 3000m world record in the 1970s and won a bronze medal over 10000m at the Montreal Olympics. Gebreselassie will line up against an expected 15000 participants, including Craig Mottram and Benita Johnson. Visit www.greataustralianrun.com.au for more information.
Jamal Idris Bulldogs debut 2007 world youth representative in the discus, Jamal Idris, recently made his first grade rugby league debut for the Sydney Bulldogs. Idris, 18, who stands at a strapping 192cm tall and weighs 106kg, plays in the centres for the beleaguered Bulldogs and was a member of the Australian schoolboys team which defeated England and France during August. Getty Images
Ge a r T o G o
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and accesories The latest products SKINS ice With unique Heat Defeating Technology Skins™ ICE actually cools you while you wear it, making it an essential part of your training kit for summer. Skins™ ICE uses MET to embed tiny microcapsules into our proprietary fabric during the manufacturing process. The effects of activity like perspiration, friction, pressure and body temperature trigger these microcapsules to release a cooling menthol substance that has been scientifically proven to induce a cool feeling by stimulating thermo receptors in your skin. A subtle menthol aroma is also released during activity which further evokes a cool sensation.
POLAR FT60 TRAINING COMPUTER Polar has released a fantastic new range of training watches. The FT60 enables you to reach your fitness targets while exercising as you want with its personalised exercise program. The adaptive program features weekly targets, feedback and guidance to help you stay motivated and carry on improving your fitness. KEY FEATURES: - New Polar STAR exercise program provides weekly targets while adapting to your exercise habits to give flexible guidance. - Fitness test which measures your aerobic fitness while at rest in just fi ve minutes - FT60 also displays calories expended SET INCLUDES: - Wrist unit plus Polar WearLink®+ transmitter ACCESSORIES: 1. POLAR FLOWLINK - Transfer data easily to polarpersonaltrainer.com 2. POLAR G1 GPS SENSOR - Provides speed and distance measurement in outdoor sports 3. POLAR S1 FOOT POD - Accurately measures speed, pace and distance while running
NELCO GOLD DISCUS The Nelco Gold discus was used to win the gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, with Gert Kanter of Estonia and Stephanie Brown of USA using it for their winning throws in the men’s and women’s discus. The Nelco Gold features a brass rim and white strong plastic plates, and 87% rim weight. The Nelco range of throwing equipment is available at the newly opened Kings Sports Store, located within Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre.
NIKE ZOOM SUPERFLY R2 Nike’s top sprinting shoe has been designed,developed and tested by the worlds fastest sprinters - a technical sprint spike with supportive lockdown. Upper: Basic synthetic two panel body construction for a snug fit - Forefoot strap and midfoot strap to lock down on the plate. Midsole: Thin Phylon midsole wedge. Outsole: Platform sprint plate with eight receptacles and adapters. This spike has exactly the same plate as its predecessor (Superfly G5). Also, the extra strap gives the athlete a fantastic “Strapped In” feel which feels very secure when running bends - your foot doesn’t float at all inside this shoe!!...Wearers of the old Superfly G5 will love this latest instalment.
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thletics athletics Nike lunar racer
Designed for 10km – Marathon and weighing just 150g the Lunar racer offers the ultimate in lightweight, cushioning and responsiveness. What makes the Lunar Racer so special – it’s the introduction of Lunar Lite foam. Developed over 5 years with NASA, weighing 30% lighter than any other midsole foam and having the industry leading shock absorbsion and forefoot spring – this is one racing flat not to be messed with. Also introducing FlyWire in the upper, a material stronger than Kevlar to support to foot and offer a great fit.
nike zoom victory and zoom mutambo spikes Launched at the Beijing Olympics and on the feet of Bekele, Laget, Kipchoge & Webb. Weighing only 92g (lighter the Michael Johnston’s gold spikes from 92 OG). Nike believes one of its latest innovations will do for its shoes what the airbag did for shoe models in the 1980s. Called Flywire, it is the fruit of a seven-year effort to build a shoe held together largely by lightweight, super-strong fibers. Jay Meschter, head of Nike’s innovation kitchen, likens the advance to civil engineers going from a steel-framed bridge design to a suspension bridge. “You’re basically building a string sandal,” he said. “We want the shoe to be the strings.” All available in Oct from leading running suppliers (Runners Shop ACT, Athletic Edge, Northside Runners)
Nike zoom shift fb The Zoom Shift FB is a versatile racing spike for distances from 800 meters to 10000 meters. OUTSOLE: Five removable spike pins housed in a durable Pebax plate. Midfoot to heel sharkskin for added traction and durability. MIDSOLE: Compression moulded Phylon. UPPER: Lightweight breathable two piece mesh with synthetic overlays in the forefoot. Heel lobe collar for a perfect fit. This shoe will suit runners that need a little more support as the base of support is almost 1cm wider than shoes such as the Nike Miler & lanang! this is proving to be a popular training spike or a longer distance / Cross country race spike !!
thletics 09 athletics New balance 1224
First impressions of the shoe was that they were very appealing, with a stylish design and a quality build. Their weight was surprisingly lighter than their appearance makes you expect, but despite the lack of mass they were very supportive and cushioned impact well. The shoe was very stable, especially in the heel, preventing unwanted lateral motion. This keeps your foot in place and gives you confidence in your stride on uneven surfaces. The support continues through the middle of the shoe, controlling the transfer of your bodyweight throughout your running gait. Another feature that is often not considered was the shoelaces. Their design prevents the laces loosening or coming undone while you run. Finally was the shoes durability. They lasted countless kilometers with minimal wear, making them ideal for distance runners doing very high mileage.
review
new balance 800 midfoot strike On initial glance I was a little surprised to think they were a shoe made for distance runners. They look more like a casual shoe than a general trainer! But after completing a few long runs and wearing them in I soon came to understand what the key differences of this shoe were. New Balance created this unique shoe for neutral runners with a midfoot gait and doing really high mileage. In doing so they have managed to build a product that offers extremely good comfort and stability on foot strike when jogging at a slow pace or during long runs. It takes a little getting used to but once you get your head around the specificity of their design then they are a pleasure to run in. The shoe is light and makes you feel like you’re floating along, and te fit is snug throughout, though I did find the toebox a little wide. All in all they are a very well made, quality shoe that is perfectly suited to marathon runners or people looking for a lightweight jogger for easy runs. If you’re after a shoe that you can use for easy runs and also for repititions, then maybe opt for the 1224.
w e i v re
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SPEED MACHINES! In the exciting and explosive world of track and field athletics the men’s 100m is arguably the most competitive and well-known of events. It brings together some of the finest sporting specimens in the world and when the starter’s gun fires, there’s no hiding. Sprinters don’t have the luxury of multiple attempts or several laps in which to formulate tactics and try to break their opposition. They are faced with a brief moment in which the slightest mistake or hesitation can mean the difference between glory and failure. Perhaps it’s this knife-edge existence that makes sprinting a favourite with spectators, or is it the sheer physical presence and showmanship of the competitors? Either way, the champion 100m runners are always remembered and tend to be the superstars of the sport. Since the introduction of electronic timing in 1968 the world record has been improve upon 12 times, by never more than 0.05 seconds. These tiny incremental advances are largely due to improvements in technology that affect an athletes training, their footwear and the surfaces they run on. The 10 second barrier was once a hallowed mark, but since Jim Hines ran 9.99 in 1968, and later 9.95 at the Mexico Olympics, running sub 10 seconds has become the standard for anyone who wants to call themselves a world class sprinter. With the Beijing Olympics having ended some weeks ago there is no doubting what remains as the most memorable moments of the athletics competition – Usain Bolt’s stunning world records. And of the three he claimed in those few special days, playing with the field in the 100m and celebrating with 30m to go yet still setting a world record remains as one of the greatest ever track and field performances.
4Carl Lewis, the first of the superstars.
Quick facts: The women’s 100m world record set in 1988 is 10.49 seconds, held by Florence Griffith-Joyner. For many years a sprinter was disqualified if responsible for two false starts individually. However, this rule allowed some major races to be restarted so many times that the sprinters started to lose focus. The current rule, introduced in February 2003, is that, after one false start, anyone responsible for a subsequent false start is disqualified immediately. The 1968 Mexico Olympics were the first Olympics where the 100m was run on a synthetic track.
4Donovan Bailey ran 9.84.
The 1988 Seoul Olympics was the first time all medalists ran sub 10 seconds. Ben Johnson ran 9.79 but was subsequently disqualified due to a positive drug test, leaving Carl
Lewis in first in a world record time of 9.92 seconds. The silver medal went to Linford Christie in 9.97 seconds, and the bronze to Calvin Smith in 9.99 seconds. Due to decreased air resistance and therefore improved performances, sprint times run at an altitude of over 1000m are marked with an “A”. A maximum tailwind of 2.0m/sec is allowed for sprint times to be eligible for records, or “wind legal”. The time between the gun and first kick against the starting block is measured electronically, via sensors built in the gun and the blocks. A reaction time less than 0.1 s is considered a false start. The 0.1-second interval accounts for the sum of the time it takes for the sound of the starter’s pistol to reach the runners’ ears, and the time it takes to react to it.
thletics 11 athletics
100m
4The new sprint king, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt!
All pics Getty Images
100M WORLD RECORD PROGRESSION 9.69 Usain Bolt, JAM, 16 Aug 08, Beijing 9.72 Usain Bolt, JAM, 31 May 08, New York 9.74 Asafa Powell, JAM, 09 Sep 07, Rieti 9.77 Asafa Powell, JAM, 18 Aug, Zurich 9.77 Asafa Powell, JAM, 11 Jun 06, Gateshead 9.77 Justin Gatlin, USA, 12 May 06, Doha 9.77 Asafa Powell, JAM, 14 Jun 05, Athens 9.78 Tim Montgomery, USA, 14 Sep 02, Paris 9.79 Maurice Greene, USA, 16 Jun 99, Athens 9.84 Donovan Bailey, CAN, 29 Jul 96, Atlanta 9.85 Leroy Burrell, USA, 06 Jul 94, Lausanne 9.86 Carl Lewis, USA, 25 Aug 91, Tokyo 9.90 Leroy Burrell, USA, 14 Jun 91, New York 9.92 Carl Lewis, USA, 24 Sep 88, Seoul 9.93 Calvin Smith, USA, 03 Jul 83, Col. Springs 9.95 Jim Hines, USA, 14 Oct 68, México City
4Greene was the first under 9.80sec 9.86 Carl Lewis USA, 25 Aug 91 Tokyo
9.84 Donovan Bailey CAN, 29 Jul 96 9.79 Maurice Greene Atlanta USA, 16 Jun 99 Athens
9.74 Asafa Powell JAM, 09 Sep 07 Rieti
THE FASTEST HUMA NS ON EARTH!
MEN’S 100M NATIONAL RECORDS 1 JAMAICA, 9.69 Usain Bolt 2 USA, 9.77 Justin Gatlin 3 CANADA, 9.84 Donovan Bailey 4 NIGERIA, 9.85 Olusoji Fasuba 5 TRIN. & TOBAGO, 9.86 Ato Boldon 5 NAMIBIA, 9.86 Frankie Fredericks 5 PORTUGAL, 9.86 Francis Obikwelu 8 GREAT BRITAIN, 9.87 Linford Christie 8 BARBADOS, 9.87 Obadele Thompson 10 BAHAMAS, 9.91 Derrick Atkins 11 AUSTRALIA, 9.93 Patrick Johnson
9.69 Usain Bolt JAM, 16 Aug 08 Beijing
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hooked on
success! All pics Getty Images
thletics 13 athletics Before the Beijing Olympics Ralph Doubell was the last Australian male to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. It was 40 years ago in Mexico City. It has made him, as incredibly brilliant as his world record breaking performance was and as denigrating it has been to every generation of 800m runner who has come since who have failed to break his Australian record, a perpetual spokesman on the state of Australian Athletics. Such is the rightfully deserved, deeply coveted status of an Olympic gold medalist in athletics. To put Steve Hooker’s epic performance in the pole vault in Beijing into perspective, in athletics Australia had only fourteen Olympic gold medalists prior to Beijing; only five were men. Three middle distance runners and two jumpers: Flack, Winter, Winter, Elliott and Doubell. And now, Hooker. The unfamiliarity with the two names in the preceding paragraph following Australia’s initial Olympic gold medalist, Edwin Flack, Nick Winter (triple jump champion in Antwerp in 1924) and John Winter (high jump champion in London in 1948), perhaps shows an ignorance of
the historical success which our nation’s field athletes have shown. But, more probably, it’s just a case of it being a long time between drinks. John Winter was a Western Australian high jumper, who, as the legendary Emil Zatopek slowed the high jump competition in London down by stringing the field out during the 10000m final, prevailed in the dampening conditions in the stadium of a post World War II ravaged London to clear 1.98m and claim gold. It’s a world which only the elder statesmen on athletics can reminisce of and which few, if any of a younger generation, can fully appreciate. Although a Victorian by birth, it is fitting to the history books and to the legacy of John Winter before him that Steven Hooker has been based in Australia’s western most state for the past two year since under the tutelage of Alex Parnov. How it unfolded: Qualifying round: World leader Brad Walker fails to clear a height. Thirteen athletes qualify for the final after clearing 5.65m and knowing that due to
countback rules there is no need for any of them to attempt the automatic qualifying height of 5.75m. Final: The competition starts at 5.45m. All athletes who jump at the height clear it. 5.60m Steve Hooker and Evgeniy Lukyanenko enter the competition. Hooker clears at his first attempt, whilst Lukyanenko only goes over on the third attempt. 5.70m Hooker, in the lead following his one and only successful clearance at the previous height, passes. At the end of the round six athletes remain in the competition, including Lukyanenko, who cleared the height at this first attempt. 5.75m Only Igor Pavlov and Danny Ecker attempt the height, both bowing out. Five athletes remain in the competition. 5.80m Lukyanenko goes clear on his
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athletics thletics Hooker fails. A failure means an exit from the competition and the opportunity for Hooker to claim gold with a successful clearance. Lukyanenko clears the height. Hooker is faced with a clutch jump for survival, if he misses he is out, but if he goes clear the slate is effectively clean when it comes to countback. Hooker goes clear with an excellent clearance.
first attempt and takes the lead. Hooker misses his first two attempts but goes clear with a great clearance on his third attempt. Derek Miles and Dmitry Starodubtsev miss their three attempts whilst Ukranian Denys Yurchenko, who is carrying an injury, does not attempt this height or any other. 5.85m The situation: If Lukyanenko clears the height, on or before the
same attempt as Hooker clears, he is in the lead on countback due to missing less heights overall. If they miss all their jumps Lukyanenko wins due to needing less attempts to be successful at the previous height. Lukyanenko and Hooker miss their first two attempts. The pressure is on for both competitors but in different way. For Lukyanenko a successful clearance keeps him in the competition and could win gold if
5.90m Both athletes cleared the previous height with the same number of misses at it. They also have four misses each during the competition. They are equal first. At their first attempt Lukyanenko misses, followed by Hooker. The same happens at the next attempt. Both will have in the back of their mind that if the same were to occur on their third attempt the competition would be forced into a jump-off, where each athlete has a single attempt at each height, with the winner decided when one athlete clears the height and the other misses. After nine and ten jumps each during the two hour long competition both athletes are tired. They summon their energy and focus their attention. Countless jumps over years of training have brought them to this place and one jump can make the difference between sporting immortality and second place. Lukyanenko missed his attempt. His only hope of victory is for Hooker to miss and for the competition to go to a jump off. Steve Hooker looked down the runway and stared at the uprights, with the bar lodged 5.90m above. On the other side of the uprights an Olympic gold medal was waiting. He cleared. He is Olympic champion. 5.96m Hooker wasn’t satisfied with only taking the Olympic gold medal away from Beijing. He had the
thletics 15 athletics height of the bar raised to one centimetre above Tim Mack’s Olympic record set at the Athens Games. He cleared the height – aptly for the nature of the competition, on his third attempt. Steve’s Thoughts Speaking at the Australian Sports Hall of Fame Dinner, after being awarded the prestigious Don Award. Having John Landy, who is an absolute hero of mine, come up to me tonight and tell me that he was jumping up and down watching my competition really brought home what I have done. My coach Alex Parnov is a great man and in the lead up he sat me down and had a conversation about third attempt clearances; he said in the past there hadn’t been that many times that I had got up on the third attempt. I was really aware of what I was doing so I was just really relaxed and chilled and just going out there and doing the jumps that I had been doing for the rest of the comp. It was an amazing experience and one I didn’t expect to have so early on in my career to be totally honest. Growing up I thought I could be a great pole vaulter, but I thought that I started later than a lot guys and I thought that London would be my greatest chance of winning a gold medal. His Room Mate’s Perspective 800m runner Lachlan Renshaw was Hooker’s roommate in Beijing. At Sydney University Athletics Club’s 130th Anniversary Dinner he gave an insight of the experience to Dean Gleeson. The village is such a crazy place, it’s just a euphoric experience. You’re waiting, you’re waiting the whole year just to get in there and you’re with the top echelon of the sporting world It’s such a weird place because there are so many emotions –
people celebrating, people in dire straits after their Olympic dream has been shattered. Steve’s a really good guy. He was a bit of a mentor as the team captain. I was very lucky to be rooming with him and he gave me a lot of good advice. After his win he didn’t really change, but I remember when we got back to the room and I said ‘mate, you’ve just changed your life forever,’ and he said, ‘yeah, I have, haven’t I?” The next morning we went
down to the laundry and random people from all different sports and countries were coming up to him and saying to him that it was the most amazing moment of the Olympic Games and wanting photos with him. I spoke to him last week and in Melbourne he can’t go to a coffee shop without 50 people wanting to get a photo with him. His life has just changed – he’s trained so hard this year and put his life on hold for the last couple of years.
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newbalance.com.au
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OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS
Winning an Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of sport. Yet some athletes transcend above others by winning in a manner which breaks new ground for sport. From athletes like Abebe Bikila and Kip Keino, whose victories in the 1960s fired the starting gun for the continent of Africa in the middle and long distance race, to the technical ingenuity of Dick Fosbury in the high jump and sheer enormity of the leap of Bob Beamon in the long jump, on rare occasions gold medalists revolutionise sport. Such was the case in Beijing. In the athletics arena not one, nor two, but three athletes produced performances which put them in the upper echelon of sporting greats.
Usain Bolt The blue ribband event of any Olympic Games is surely the 100m. A look at the list of victors reads as a who’s who of athletics immortals: Harold Abraham, Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis to name just a few. Of those, Owens and Lewis are the amongst the eight men prior to Usain Bolt to take out the sprint double. Yet none achieved what the 21 year old Jamaican was to do: claim gold by breaking the world record in both events. The manner in which he claimed his first gold, in the 100m, was simply astounding. Michael Phelps
had won a record eight golds the week prior in the lilliputian world of swimming, yet after Bolt’s swaggering run of 9.65 seconds sports fans around the world were questioning who the greatest athlete in the world was. And rightly so. In an event which the entire world can participate in regardless of economic circumstance, Bolt had made some of the fastest men in history look pedestrian. Some criticised his antics in turning almost sideways 15 metres from the finishing line. Granted it would have been brilliant to see the limits of his ability on the largest stage imaginable, yet it was apt that the Olympics saw some theatrics from one of the greatest athletes who has stepped foot on the greatest stage on earth. Bolt was an almost unbackable to also win the 200m (Australian bookmaking site Centrebet offered measly odds of 33 to 1 on for his victory). There were hopes that he would challenge the world record of 19.32 seconds which Michael Johnson set in Atlanta in 1996. Johnson’s was an almost Beamonesque performance, one which when it was set nobody expected to seen broken in the foreseeable future. Bolt broke it. Straining every muscle and sinew in his sleek 193cm frame Bolt bolted to the line in 19.30 seconds. Sheer brilliance. By running the third leg of the Jamaican 4x100m team which slashed three tenths of a second from the previous world record Bolt secured his place in history, and with a lifetime of running ahead of him one can only think that Beijing is the start of his legacy.
All pics Getty Images
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Yelena Isinbayeva The women’s pole vault became an Olympic event in 2000. Athletes such as Emma George and Stacy Dragila were among the early pioneers of the event in the lead up to Sydney, where Dragila winning gold. Now that the event has reached a level of maturity, it’s safe to say that Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva is its first real star. The 26 year old has an outstanding championship record; rarely has she entered a championship and not come away with the gold medal. In fact, the occasions can be counted on one hand: the 1998 world junior championships (9th as a 16 year old), 2001 and 2003 world indoor championships (7th and 2nd respectively), 2002 European championships (2nd) and 2003 world championships (2nd). What makes Isinbayeva a great isn’t just that she has now won two Olympic and world championships gold medals (although that is a spectacular
achievement in itself), or that she has broken the world record 14 times outdoors and 10 times indoor - it’s the fact that she has been able to achieve those two colossal monuments so often at the same time. In leaping 5.05m to win gold in Beijing Isinbayeva became the first woman to ever set two world records in the Olympic Games in the same event. The
only other person to ever have achieved such a feat did so almost a century ago: Swedish javelin thrower Eric Lemming, who broke the world record during his victories in 1908 and 1912. Whilst Lemming’s name has disappeared to the back pages of well worn statistics books, the excitement which Isinbayeva brings to track when she competes is not likely to be forgotten as quickly.
thletics 19 athletics
Samuel Wanjiru The days of the marathon being the domain of athletes not quick enough to race on the track are well and truly over. Kenya’s Samuel Wanjiru, who has a swift 10000m personal best of 26:41 and holds the world record in the half marathon at 58:33, isn’t the first athlete with track pedigree to win an Olympic marathon – Emil Zatopek and Carlos Lopes were Olympic medalists in the 10000m prior to their marathon golds in 1952 and 1984 respectively. What separates Wanjiru into another class is that he dared to race the Olympic marathon like a track race in the same manner that big city marathon races such as London or Berlin are set up. Without the aid of pacemakers, he sped through the first 10km in 29:25 and didn’t slow much as the few athletes game enough to run in the lead pack reduced in number after the first half of the race was passed in 62:34. The Beijing course, flat and fast without any noticeable features that allowed for tactical surging and maneuvering in the business end of the race after the 30km mark, may have suited Wanjiru race plan perfectly, but cannot detract from the enormity of his performance: crossing the line for victory in fastest championship marathon in history with a run of 2:06:32.
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Sally McLellan Four years too early. That was Sally McLellan’s long time coach Sharon Hannan’s assessment of her 21-year-old year charge’s performance in Beijing. Not that she was complaining, but one could have only hoped for, and few would have expected the success that McLellan achieved in Beijing. McLellan had shown exceptional form during her preparation, lowering her national record by over a tenth of a second to 12.58 and then to 12.53 in Monaco. She then went within a whisker of beating a world class field in London, failing through falling after the last hurdle. The early rounds in Beijing were sound, but not exceptional - 12.83 seconds for 2nd in the heat and 12.70 for 4th in the semi-final to take a coveted place in the final. Then came the final. McLellan exploded from the blocks and led the field over the first half of the race until the favourite, Lolo Jones, took the lead, only to crunch the penultimate hurdle and dramatically lose momentum. It left the rest of the field to fight their way to the line, with Dawn Harper taking the gold medal. A blanket could be thrown over the rest of the field, but it was clear to the naked eye (or at least to an Australian one) that despite the fact that she ran the same time as third, that McLellan had won the silver medal.
Results 1 Dawn Harper USA 2 Sally McLellan AUS 3 Priscilla Lopes-Schliep CAN 4 Damu Cherry USA 5 Delloreen Ennis-London JAM 6 Brigitte Foster-Hylton JAM 7 Lolo Jones USA 8 Sarah Claxton GBR
12.54 12.64 12.64 12.65 12.65 12.66 12.72 12.94
She who hesitates is lost The results of the women’s 100m show how cutthroat the Olympic Games can be: two hundredths of a second separated the silver medalist from sixth place. Sally McLellan had the fastest start reaction time in the field by far – 0.138 seconds. The reaction time was faster than half of the field in the men’s 100m final, including Usain Bolt. It’s a little hard to compare the exact impact of the reaction times on the overall result, as the finish times are rounded up to the nearest hundredths of second whilst the reaction times are recorded to the hundredths. Rounding the reaction times up to the nearest hundredth in the same manner as the official time and removing them from the equation, a startling different set of results appear, with half of the field finishing in a different position:
Place Name Time Reaction Corrected time* 1 (1) Dawn Harper 12.54 0.193 12.34 2 (4) Damu Cherry 12.65 0.239 12.41 3 (3) Priscilla Lopes-Schliep 12.64 0.174 12.46 4 (5) Delloreen Ennis-London 12.65 0.151 12.49 5 (6) Brigitte Foster-Hylton 12.66 0.167 12.49 6 (2) Sally McLellan 12.64 0.138 12.50 7 (7) LoLo Jones 12.72 0.185 12.53 8 (8) Sarah Claxton 12.94 0.163 12.77 *Corrected time is the official time minus the rounded reaction time.
athletics thletics 21 Jarrod Tallent Not many people can run a sub three hour marathon or run a half marathon at four minutes per kilometre. Jarrod Tallent virtually did both of these on the way to his medal winning performances of 3:39:27 and 1:19:42 in the 50km and 20km walks in Beijing. In Beijing the reflective surface of the course made for difficult conditions and turned the race into one of attrition. It was something that Tallent had won the first event to finish in the Bird’s Nest stadium – the 20km walk test event over the course in May. “I never thought I’d stand up on the podium twice at the Olympics Games,” Tallent told a media conference in Beijing after his success. “I was probably more confident in the 50km,” said Tallent after his second medal. “I felt a little bit sluggish at the start. It was tough early on but actually got better during the race. “It’s was very different to the frosty mornings we have in Canberra, but once a week for six weeks we trained in a heat tent in the biomechanics lab at the AIS and that really paid dividends.”
Youcef Abdi Abdi set a new personal best of 8:17.97 in the heat to become the first Australian in 40 years to qualify for the final of the 3000m steeplechase. In the final he improved his personal best to 8:16.36 with a strong run to the line to claim sixth place – the highest male finish in a track event at the Games since Rohan Robinson’s 5th in the 400m hurdles in Atlanta in 1996. “It was always a dream to run at the Olympics and it was a great experience. I really advise any young kid, girl or boy, if they have a dream to go to the Olympics, they should hold onto that dream and make it happen.” “I’ve been to many competitions, but the Olympics is just a different dimension, way beyond your expectations. I thought I’d seen it all, but the moment I landed in Beijing I was just like ‘wow!’”
There’s little more than most athletes can do than to time their peak perfectly and produce a personal best under championship conditions. The following athletes achieved that feat in Beijing: Jarrod Tallent in the 50km walk, Youcef Abdi (twice) in the 3000m steeplechase, Luke Adams in the 50km walk (3:47:45), Kylie Wheeler in the heptathlon (6369 points), Joel Milburn (44.80) and Sean Wroe (45.17) in the first round of the 400m, and Claire Woods, who equaled her PB in the 20km walk (1:33:02).
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4Bryan Clay won the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decathlon with a total of 8791 points.
4Pure magic is all that can describe the 5000m per-
formance Bekele put in to win the 5000m, running the last 2km in 4:56.97 to destroy the rest of the field. Earlier he had defended his Olympic 10000m title, tormenting his countryman Sileshi Sihine by again running away from him over the final lap.
4 After a decade of top class 800m running
4 Stephanie Brown-Trafton, who was only third in the USA
Bungei ran the championship race that he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to produce until Beijing.
Olympic Trials, won gold in the discus with a throw of 64.74m the shortest winning throw since 1968.
4 Valeriy Borchin won the 20km walk.
thletics 23 athletics
4 Despite missing her first jumps at 1.99m, 2.01m and 2.03m, a first jump clearance at 2.05m was enough for Belgiumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tia Hellebaut to score an upset victory over Blanka Vlasic.
4 Gerd Kanter won the discus with a throw of 68.82m.
4 Francoise Mbango Etone took out the triple jump in 15.39m.
4 Nataliya Dobrynska won the heptathlon but just over 100 points.
4Veronica Campbell-Brown defended her Olympic title in 21.74 seconds.
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4 The Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Micahel Frater, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell smashed the previous world record in the 4x100m with the run of 37.10 seconds.
4 Dawn Harper of the USA ran a personal best of 12.54 to win gold in the 100m hurdles.
4 Olga Kaniskina won the 20km walk in
1:26:31 in a race where all the athletes in the top ten set personal bests.
thletics 25 athletics
4 Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain crosses
the line to win the Women’s 400m gold medal.
4 Shelly-Ann Fraser of 4In less than a year Kenya’s Pamelo Jelimo went from having never run an 800m to being Olympic champion in the event.
Jamaica celebrates winning the women’s 100m in 10.78 seconds.
4 Slovenia’s Primoz
Kozmus won his nation’s first Olympic gold athletics in taking out the hammer throw in 82.02m.
4 Portugal’s Nelson Evora took out the men’s triple
jump by just five centimetres from Phillips Idowu.
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4 Maurren Higa Maggiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first round 4 A year ago Jeremy Wariner was virtually untouchable. A change in coach for him and the upping of the ante by LaShawn Merritt saw Merritt easily account for his compatriot in the 400m.
jump of 7.04m was enough to take gold, but by the barest of margins as reigning champion Tatyana Lebedeva got within a centimetre of her in the final round.
4 Moroccan born Rashid Ramzi won Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Olympic gold with victory in the 1500m.
thletics 27 athletics
4 LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville
and Jeremy Wariner made up the victorious USA 4x400m team.
4 Tomasz Majewski of Poland won the shot put with a throw of 21.51m.
4 Aksana Miakova set a new Olympic record of 76.34m in the hammer throw.
4Andrey Silnov produced a flawless series of jumps up to his winning height of 2.36m.
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4 Sanya Richards (right) runs to embrace her teammates Monique Henderson, Allyson Felix and Mary Wineberg after running the final leg for the victorious USA team in the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4 x 400m
4 Barbora Spotakova from the Czech Republic set a European record of 71.42m to win gold.
4 23 year old Alex Schwazer won the 50km walk in Olympic record time.
4 Gulnara Galkina-Samitova became the first
woman to break 9 minutes in the 3000m steeplechase with a runaway victory in 8:58.81.
thletics 29 athletics
4 Nancy Jebet Lagat set a
personal best of 4:00.23 to win the 1500m.
4 Angelo Taylor, gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics, won
the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 400m hurdles in personal best of 47.25 seconds.
4 Andreas Thorkildsen defended his Olympic javelin title with a throw of 90.57m.
4 38 year old Constantina Tomescu won 4 Evgeniya Polyakova, Yulia Gushchina, Yuliya
Chermoshanskaya and Aleksandra Fedoriva of Russia celebrate after their surprise victory in the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4 x 100m.
the marathon by 22 seconds after establishing a lead of over a minute during the third 10km portion of the race. The Romanian will compete in the Great Australian Run in Melbourne at the end of November.
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4 New Zealand’s Valerie Vili won the shot put in 20.56m, a personal best.
4 Panama’s Irving Saladino leapt 8.34m to take gold in the long jump.
4 Not since Kenyan boycotted the 1976 and 1980 Olympics have they failed to take gold in the men’s steeplechase. Brimin Kipruto, silver medalist four years ago, became the latest in a long line of Kenyan’s to win gold in the event which they claim as their own.
4 Melanie Walker of Jamaica set a new Olympic record in the 400m hurdles.
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Great to Run in Australia Haile Gebrselassie, arguably the greatest distance runner in history, is set to run in Australia for the first time since the Sydney Olympics The 35 year old Ethiopian, who has set 20 world records and 4 world bests during his career will take to roads of Melbourne in the 15km Great Australian Run, part of the world’s largest running event series. If Gebrselassie’s last performance is anything to go by, Australia might be set for its first world record of the millennium. At the
Berlin Marathon Gebrselassie negative split the race to break his own world record by 27 seconds and become the first athlete in history to run under 2 hours, 4 minutes. His time: 2:03:59. Of all the distances which Gebrselassie has raced over his 15 year long career, the 15km holds a rare distinction. It, along with the 1500m and 25km are the
only distances which he has not broken the world record for. Over 1500m he went close, albeit indoors, at the Stuttgart Grand Prix in 1997 – Hicham El Guerrouj beat him to the line in 3:31.18 to his 3:32.39 – both substantially quicker than Noureddine Morceli’s previous record of 3:34.16. Over 25km his run of 1:11:37 in the Netherlands All pics Getty Images
Gebrselassie
thletics 33 athletics
Gebrselassie
World records 5000m 12:56.96 Hengelo, NED 10000m 26:43.53 Hengelo, NED 5000m 12:44.39 Zurich, SWI 5000m i 13:10.98 Sindelfingen, GER 3000m i 7:30.72 Stuttgart, GER 5000m i 12:59.04 Stockholm, SWE 10000m 26:31.32 Oslo, NOR 5000m 12:41.86 Zurich, SWI 3000m i 7:26.15 Karlsruhe, GER 2000m i 4:52.86 Birmingham, GBR 10000m 26:22.75 Hengelo, NED 5000m 12:39.36 Helsinki, FIN 5000m i 12:50.38 Birmingham, GBR 10km road 27:02 Doha, QAT 20km road 55:48 Tempe, USA Half marathon 58:55 Tempe, USA 20000m 56:25.98 Ostrava, CZE One hour run 21,285 m Ostrava, CZE Marathon 2:04:26 Berlin, GER Marathon 2:03:59 Berlin, GER
World bests 2 miles 2 miles 2 miles i 10 miles road
8:07.46 Kerkrade, NED 8:01.08 Hengelo, NED 8:04.69 Birmingham, GBR 44:24 Tilburg, NED
1994 1995 1995 1996 1996 1997 1997 1997 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999 2002 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2008
1995 1997 2003 2005
was not ratified because there were insufficient drug testing procedures in place. It was a over a minute faster than the world record. Gebrselassie is confident that he can break the world record on Sunday, 30 November around the flat Melbourne course which starts and finishes in Albert Park and which will pass some of the City’s most famous landmarks, including Flinders Street Station, the Yarra River, St Kilda Road’s Boulevard and the mecca for Melbourne runners - the famous Tan running circuit around the Botanical Gardens. The world record stands at 41:29 by Kenya’s Felix Limo in 2001 in a race where Gebrselassie was beaten by a mere 9 seconds. Gebrselassie ran 7 seconds quicker than Limo’s mark en route to 10 miles four years later in 2005, but the timing at the intermediate mark was not to the standard required for a world record. “I’ve never ran in Melbourne, but I once ran in Sydney and I don’t forget it was there where I produced my best ever achievement,” said Gebrselassie following his victory in Berlin. He of course was speaking on his epic victory over arch rival and friend, Paul Tergat, at the Sydney Olympics. It was a race where, after slowly warming up for hours before his race to protect an achilles tendon injury he was nursing, he outkicked Tergat down to the home straight to win by nine hundredths of a second – less than the winning margin in the men’s 100m.
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Gebrselassie gives the Great Australian Run, part of a worldwide series of runs developed by former 3000m world record holder Brendan Foster, a huge jump start in its initial staging. Up to 15,000 runners are expected to take part in the event, which hopes to become a staple part of the Australian distance running scene. Craig Mottram, whose Melbourne residence is within walking distance of the starting line, is one of many who wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the opportunity of racing Gebreselassie in his own backyard go to waste. While Mottram may stay within sight of the Ethiopian great for slightly longer than other Australian runners will, the opportunity to share the same starting line and travel in his footsteps is something that will be simply unforgettable.
Haile Gebrselassie beating Craig Mottram across the line in the 5000m at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace in 2005, with Mottram setting the Australian record.
thletics 35 athletics Gebâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Berlin splits 5km 10km 15km 20km 25km 30km 35km 40km Finish
14:45 29:13 (14:28) 44:03 (14:50) 58:50 (14:47) 1:13:41 (14:51) 1:28:27 (14:46) 1:43:05 (14:32) 1:57:34 (14:29) 2:03:59
First half 62:05 Second half 61:54
Run with the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best in the inaugural
HBA Great Australian Run Starting at 8:30am, Sunday 30 November Enjoy a trip to Melbourne with your training squad, and make a weekend of it. Check the website for accommodation deals. Open to runners, joggers and walkers of all levels.
e fun run 15 kilometr streets around the e of Melbourn finishing starting and rk. at Albert Pa
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Hamstring injuries Words by Ben Liddy, All pics Getty Images
With the competitive track season fast approaching the training programs of many athletes will begin to lift in intensity over the coming months. Accompanying this increase in intensity is the potential risk for soft tissue injuries. One of the most common soft tissue injuries sustained by athletes competing in track and field is the hamstring strain or tear. Athletes are constantly looking for ways to recover faster from this type of injury to minimize a loss in fitness and time away from competition. This article aims to outline those few important steps that can help a quicker return to the track and minimize the risk of re-injury. Hamstring injuries can occur for a variety of reasons. An imbalance between your quadriceps and hamstring muscles is often the major contributing factor. The quadriceps are a very large, strong group of muscles. If these muscles are not balanced by a strong set of hamstring muscles, injury to the hamstrings is more likely. A weaker hamstring
muscle fatigues earlier than a stronger quadriceps muscle. The quadriceps muscle is able to continue contracting strongly, not allowing the fatigued and weakened hamstring muscle to relax. When the force generated in the muscle exceeds the capabilities of the hamstring muscle, tears in the muscle fibres will occur. A lack of flexibility throughout the hamstring muscle is another contributing factor towards this injury. Without adequate flexibility in the hamstring muscle high powered activities such as sprinting that require a large range of motion in the hamstring muscle, can cause an overstretch of the fibres. This can lead to a sudden tear in the muscle. Repeated sprinting over time can lead to a gradual overstretch of the fibres, eventually leading to a larger more serious tear. Typically hamstring injuries are graded from 1 to 3 based on their severity. The recovery time between the different grades of hamstring injuries varies greatly.
Here is a short summary of the different grades of hamstring injuries and their recovery times. Grade 1 You will be able to walk normally but probably feel some tightness and slight discomfort in your hamstring muscle especially when extending your leg. On resisted hamstring testing (lying on your stomach and bending your knee up against resistance) you will have normal strength but there will be slight discomfort. Recovery time 1-2 weeks Grade 2 Walking will cause discomfort â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you may get sudden catches of pain in the hamstring. Resisted hamstring testing will cause pain and there will be a reduction in strength. Recovery time 2-3 weeks
thletics 37 athletics Grade 3 There will be a noticeable ‘gapping’ in the muscle on palpation.
Unable to walk without limping. Severe pain and weakness on resisted hamstring testing.
Recovery time – up to 3 months Following a hamstring injury it can be confusing when to begin treatment and what techniques to use. No matter the grade of hamstring injury the initial management of the injury for the first 48 hours is the same…RICE. As most would know this stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. I won’t go into detail on this process but when icing your hamstring avoid icing for any longer than 20mins at a time. After 20mins ice can begin to have a vasodilative effect rather than a vasoconstrictive effect leading to more inflammation in the muscle and a longer healing time. Ideally with icing, to maximise its benefit a cycle of 20mins on 20mins off 20mins on 2hours off should be followed for 48 hours after initially sustaining the injury. A common mistake many make when sustaining a hamstring injury is to begin stretching the muscle immediately believing it will assist healing time. A strain or tear in the hamstring muscle has already caused an overstretch of the muscle fibres. Continuing to stretch the muscle will lead to more stretching and tearing of the fibres and a longer healing time. You need to give the muscle time to form a tight ‘knit’ and then begin stretching the muscle. It is safe to begin stretching when you can gently stretch without feeling a sharp twinge in the muscle or pain isolated to a direct spot. This can be as little as a few days in minor hamstring injuries to several weeks in more severe injuries. When beginning
to stretch the hamstring muscle, gentle stretching is advised initially as the new tissue is still very susceptible to re-injury and any aggressive stretching is likely to cause further tears in the muscle. 48 hours following the injury direct massage to the area can begin. Massage helps to break down any excess scar tissue formed after the injury and helps to realign the new muscle fibres formed. This will reduce muscle tightness as it begins to heal. However, if you are unable to get to a physiotherapist or massage therapist a good way to achieve a similar effect to a deep massage is through the use of a golf ball. Sitting up on a bed or a table with your feet dangling off the edge place the golf ball under the hamstring where the injury is. While in this position begin to straighten out your leg until your knee is completely straight. This will increase the pressure on the hamstring and give a similar effect to a deep trigger point release that a physiotherapist or massage therapist may use on you. Bring the knee back down to the start position and repeat 10 times. Have a short rest and repeat this process for another 1-2 sets. It is important not to try and do too much of this as you can cause bruising in the muscle and further delay recovery time. This technique can be used daily or every second day if you find you are becoming too sore. A common misconception after sustaining a hamstring injury is that you should rest the muscle completely before returning to training. Although it is important to rest the muscle initially after sustaining an injury, a graduated strength program should be
commenced soon after the injury. This allows the new muscle tissue to form along areas of stress. If no strength work is implemented into the recovery program than the new tissue will be laid down in a disorganised fashion leading to unnecessary tightness in the muscle. A strength program also ensures the new tissue laid down becomes a lot stronger so when returning to running your risk of re-tearing the muscle is a lot lower than if you had just completely rested. The strengthening exercises used in the rehabilitation program need to be pain free; otherwise recovery time will be delayed. If you are experiencing pain with the exercises it means the hamstring is not ready for that
particular exercise yet and either more rest is needed or a simpler pain free exercise needs to be used. Some simple exercises that may be used initially include standing hamstring curls without weight. This can then be progressed to hamstring curls using a theraband as resistance and as the hamstring becomes stronger more advanced strengthening exercises such as single leg bridging can be incorporated into the recovery program. There are countless hamstring exercise options available for patients but it is important to follow a graduated
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loading program to ensure full recovery and reduce the risk of further injury. Supervision and advice throughout this process is recommended to ensure the correct exercises are done at the correct stage of the recovery program. Returning to running needs to follow the same principles outlined with the strength program. It should only be commenced when it can be completed pain free and it should follow a progressive format starting with slow speeds and gradually progressing until sprinting speed is reached. The clinical sports medicine text book outlines the following principles advising athletes on a return to running:
Jogging can commence as soon as the athlete can move without pain and limping. This can be as early as 24 hours for minor strains but several weeks for more serious tears.
If there is even the slightest increase in pulling sensation through the hamstring, then the running should be ceased immediately and ice should be applied to the hamstring. The next attempt at running can be attempted again as early as the next 12 hours. Ice should not only be used in the first 48 hours after the injury but also after each running session when returning from injury to minimise inflammation caused by a return to running. Once the athlete can run 2km pain free and without limping, they can then run an additional 2km with a gradual acceleration and deceleration up to about 75% of top speed. The next phase of the return to running program is to have the athlete perform run throughs. The athlete accelerates over a fixed distance from a standing start and then holds a constant speed over a fixed distance before a final deceleration to stop after
a set distance. The speeds and distances used can gradually be progressed over time until 100% speed is reached. Once the athlete has gone through these different phases a return to full training can begin. Hamstring Rehabilitation Program Summary RICE initially. No stretching until the muscle can be stretched pain free. Gentle slow stretching initially. Massage can commence 48 hours after the injury. Early commencement of a strength program that is pain free and progressive. Gradual return to running. Progression from jogging to ½ to ž pace and finally sprinting.
thletics 39 athletics
NSW All Schools
Image courtesy of Photos in a Flash
The 2008 NSW All Schools Championships was the largest in the history of the event, with over 1800 students taking part of the four days of the competition. The standard of performance was exceptional, with 19 meet records broken and scores of qualifying performances for the Pacific School Games recorded. The leading performance was a new NSW U16 triple jump record by St Leoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College Wahroonga student Amy
Pejkovic, who took 6 centimetres off Kirsten Bannisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three year old record with a leap of 11.78m. The NSW All Schools have an important role to play in the development of the sport. Whilst the NSW All Schools have been the breeding ground for a number of talented athletes such as Jana Rawlinson, Matt Shirvington and Dani Samuels and gathers many athletes who wish to emulate their success
at the highest level of the sport, the event is also about allowing as many athletes as possible to enjoy the sport in a professionally conducted atmosphere in a world class stadium. A look at the results shows that all around the event was a huge success: 864 athletes improved their personal bests and 270 set qualifying performances for the Pacific School Games.
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NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY
CHAMPIONSHIPS The relatively flat, yet twisting course of Eastern Park, Geelong was the venue for the national cross country champioinships at the end of August. The men’s race saw the same medalists as last year’s race in Perth, but with each placegetter receiving a different coloured medal. National steeplechase champion Martin Dent, on a roll after becoming the first Australian male in a decade to win the City to Surf, avenged his defeat by Jeff Hunt 12 months earlier with a decisive move twothirds into the 12km race. Hunt tried gamely to close the gap but was unable to do so, with Dent crossing the line for a decisive 22 second victory in a swift 36:05. Last year’s silver medalist, Ben St Lawrence, claimed a well deserved bronze medal after having run prominently in the large leading pack in the early portions of the race. In the women’s race Emma Rilen broke up the field early on in the race, establishing a lead of approximately 100m after the first few kilometres. She was chased continuously by Eliza Stewart, who slowly reeled in the deficit and caught Rilen with approximately 1500m to run. Rilen was caught by New Zealand’s Rowan Baird (representing Queensland) but kicked away from her near the finish to place second, 15 seconds behind Stewart’s winning time.
4Martin Dent leads Jeff Hunt with 3km to go.
thletics 41 athletics
results
4 Cameron Page continues
4Eliza Stewart ran a strong
last few kilometers to haul in Emma Rilen and take the gold.
to improve and will be one to watch on the track this summer.
OPEN WOMEN 1 Eliza Stewart 2 Emma Rilen 3 Rowan Baird 4 Lara Tamsett 5 Alice Mason 6 Martine Daniliuc
NSW 27:16 NSW 27:31 QLD 27:33 NSW 27:42 NZL 27:47 VIC 27:53
TEAMS 1st NSW 2nd Victoria 3rd South Australia
13 points 32 points 33 points
OPEN MEN 1 Martin Dent ACT 36:05 NSW 36:27 2 Jeff Hunt 3 Ben St Lawrence NSW 36:33 VIC 36:41 4 Liam Adams NSW 36:49 5 Jeremy Roff VIC 36:51 Hamer Chris 6 TEAMS 1st Victoria 2nd NSW 3rd ACT
A BRIEF CHAT WITH MARTIN DENT You’re in great form lately – what do you put that down to? We had a baby about 12 weeks ago; that gave me a bit of a break from work and a few weeks of hard training. It’s been a bit of a change of lifestyle. Did your victory in the City to Surf boost your confidence for the national cross country? I wasn’t too sure how I would go backing up from City to Surf – 13 days always makes it a bit of a gamble. I felt pretty fresh today and pulled away on the last lap and win the race. What makes victory at the national cross country so important to you? It was the first nationals I went to in 1992. As a junior I won the U15 race and the U20 but then it was quite a few years until I managed to get a win in the open. There’s a great crowd, the biggest crowd of the year for a cross country race, and it’s good to see the youngsters go around beforehand.
23 points 24 points 37 points
NSW Medalists GOLD Eliza Stewart (Open, U23) Ryan Gregson (U20) Cameron Page (U18) SILVER Emma Rilen (Open) Jeff Hunt (Open) Lara Tamsett (U23) Jenny Blundell (U16) BRONZE Ben St Lawrence (Open) Bridey Delaney (U20) David Ricketts (U18)
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athletics thletics
Over a Decade in the Making to Surf, It may have been 11 years since the last Aussie victor y in the City d but for Dent it was a lifelong dream that he had finally accomplishe
Since its humble beginnings way back in 1971 The City to Surf has grown to become one of our largest and most iconic sporting events. Not only for the elite athletes that train for years to reach the pinnacle of distance running, but also for many Sydneysiders and interstate travellers that make the race their one fitness challenge of the year. It’s an event steeped in history where many of Australia’s and indeed the world’s top distance runners have competed. Leading into this years event commentators were confident of an Australian victory. Due to Olympic commitments the Africans that had dominated the past several years were absent, meaning this was the best opportunity yet for the
Australians in the field. The two main contenders for line honours were Michael Shelley and Martin Dent. Both athletes were in fantastic shape and recent race results indicated it would be a very close competition. From early on Dent made his intentions clear. The pace was solid and a lead pack quickly formed with the favourites running side by side. 5km in and the numbers at the pointy end started to dwindle, leaving Dent, Shelley, Ben St Lawrence, Shane Nankervis, Josphat Mwangi (Kenya) and Tim Rowe to fight it out. Meanwhile, two minutes behind the women’s race was unfolding, with Rebecca Lowe striding confidently ahead of Eliza Stewart, Melinda Vernon and Emily Brichacek.
As the race reached the legendary heartbreak hill the pack began to stretch, but it wasn’t until nearing the top where there was a clear breakaway containing Dent and Shelley. Dents plan was obvious – put the foot down while everyone is hurting and see who lasts! With his head back and punchy stride he managed to gap Shelley at around the 10km mark, before grinding through the final kilometres to claim a runaway victory. Mwangi ran strongly only two weeks after winning the Cities Marathon, crossing the line in third place ahead of an ecstatic Ben St Lawrence. The women’s race wasn’t quite as dramatic as the men’s, with Rebecca Lowe winning comfortable from Emily Brichacek with Eliza Stewart in third place.
ALL TIME TOP 10 PERFORMANCES MALE 1991 1 40.03 Steve Moneghetti (VIC) 1981 2 40.08 Rob de Castella (VIC) 1990 3 40.15 Steve Moneghetti (VIC) 1987 4 40.15 Brad Camp (VIC) 1988 5 40.16 Steve Moneghetti (VIC) 1987 6 40.16 Mark Curp (USA) 1996 7 40.19 John Morapedi (RSA) 1996 8 40.22 Darren Wilson (VIC) 2001 9 40.24 John Msuri (TAN) 2000 10 40.25 Laban Chege (KEN)
FEMALE 45.08 Susie Power (VIC) 45.47 Lisa Martin (SA) 45.50 Susie Power (VIC) 46.22 Haley McGregor (VIC) 46.25 Kylie Risk (TAS) 46.27 Kerryn McCann (NSW) 46.41 Lisa Ondieki (ACT) 46.43 Heather Turland (NSW) 46.59 Heather Turland (NSW) 46.59 Krishna Stanton (NSW)
2001 1988 2002 2004 1999 2005 1991 1996 1994 1991
thletics 43 athletics
results MEN TIME 1 Martin Dent 41.12 2 Michael Shelley 41.24 3 Josphat Mwangi 41.51 4 Ben St Lawrence 42.04
Fairfax Media
WOMEN 1 Rebecca Lowe 2 Emily Brichacek 3 Eliza Stewart 4 Melinda Vernon
47.18 48.12 48.35 49.30
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thletics athletics
short course XC 4
For the second year in a row the state short course cross country championships were held on the challenging Abbotsbury course.
results Women U16 3km CLUB TIME BMA 11:20 1 Morgan Moloney CHE 11:23 2 Hannah Menday 11:26 3 Hannah Wrigley ILL
11:12 11:35 11:41
U20 5km RBH 1 Bridey Delaney 2 Veronica Wallington SGD SYU 3 Alexis McKillop
17:59 18:22 18:50
Open 5km 1 Emma Rilen 2 Noni Clarke 3 Anita Keem
RYU 17:37 SUT 19:04 KEJ 19:08
Men U16 3km 1 Ozner Abdullah ILL KEJ 2 Miles Waring KEJ 3 Blake James
9:59 10:09 10:16
U18 5km 1 Cameron Page GOS CBT 2 Todd Wakefield 3 Kevin Batt GOS
15:29 16:01 16:10
U20 5km 1 Harry Summers 2 James Nipperess 3 Chris McDonald
RBH SYU SUT
15:30 16:06 16:19
Open 8.5km 1 Jeremy Roff 2 Jeffrey Hunt 3 Russell Chin
RBH RBH SYU
26:01 26:22 26:38
The open women’s race saw a return to form for double world cross couuntry representative EMMA RILEN. After an injury and illness hampered two years she seems to have hit form at the right time and easily won. Noni Clarke from Sutherland managed to hold on for the silver ahead of Kembla’s Anita Keem.
1st
4
1st
JEREMY ROFF ran confidently in the open men’s race, leading from the start and running away with a 21 second victory.
4
3rd
2nd
Defending champion Jeff Hunt,
on 4improved last years time
4
U18 3km RBH 1 Selma Kajan 2 Charlotte Wilson ASW 3 Kristy Colman RBH
and placed second. His preparation for the national XC was similar to last years event where he paced first.
Russell dessaix-chin completed a great trifecta for Sydney coach Ken Green.
ROAD RELAYS
thletics 45 athletics
4The opening leg of the men’s race saw an 4Melinda Vernon.
interesting battle between Tim Rowe (1467) and Russell Dessaix-Chin.
results
Men 4x4km TIME 46:54 1 Randwick (Cope, Byrne, Hunt, J Roff) 48:23 2 St George (Rowe, S Delaney, Arndell, St Lawrence) 49:22 (Gregson, Brown, Hennessey, Bulmer) 3 Kembla
4Jeremy Roff equaled
Rowe’s course record with an unchallenged solo run on the final leg.
Women 4x4km 1 Randwick (Kajan, Robinson, Nicod, G Truscott) 2 Sydney Uni (A McKillop, Rilen, Stanley, Tseris) 3 Sutherland (Clark, Hargrave, K Simpson, Karamali-Poulos)
58:20 59:10 59:18
FASTEST SPLITS - 4km MEN CLUB TIME =1 Jeremy Roff RBH 11:16 =1 Tim Rowe SGD 11:16 3 Russell Chin SYU 11:22 4 Ben St Lawrence SGD 11:24 5 Jeff Hunt RBH 11:28 6 Ryan Gregson KEJ 11:33 7 Nick Bromley UTN 11:42 8 Matt Hammond AEA 11:46 9 Mark Warren MIN 11:57 10 Stephen Brown KEJ 11:58
4Sydney University’s Emma
Rilen smashed the course record with a run of 12:55.
4Rowe pulled away from Chin
in the latter stages of the race to take five seconds off the previous course record.
WOMEN 1 Emma Rilen 2 Melinda Vernon 3 Bridey Delaney 4 Hollie Emery 5 Alexis McKillop 6 Noni Clark 7 Anita Keem 8 Selma Kajan 9 Bilinda Schipp 10 Hollie Emery
SYU SSR SGD BMA SYU SUT KEJ RBH HIL BMA
12:55 13:18 13:25 13:46 13:47 13:53 13:55 14:02 14:03 14:13
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thletics athletics
CALENDAR
November 1 Club Premiership Narrab & Bankst 8 Club Premiership SOPAC Warm Up 8 NSW 3000m Championships SOPAC Warm Up 15-16 State Relays Blacktown 22 Ron Clarke Classic Geelong, VIC 27 Allcomers SOPAC Warm Up 30 Great Australian Run Melbourne, VIC 30 Pacific School Games Canberra, ACT December 1-6 Pacific School Games Canberra, ACT 11 Zatopek Classic Melbourne, VIC 11 National Schools Knockout Melbourne, VIC 13 Club Premiership SOPAC Warm Up 20 Skins Meet Bankstown January 3 Allcomers Campbelltown 3-4 NSW Multi Events Campbelltown 10 Allcomers SOPAC 16-17 Olympic Youth Festival SOPAC 17 Allcomers (TBC) Campbelltown 18 Canberra Track Classic (TBC) Canberra, ACT 22 Allcomers SOPAC 22 NSW 5000m Championships SOPAC 24-25 NSW Country Championships Campbelltown 30 Graeme Briggs Memorial Hobart, TAS February 7 Allcomers SOPAC 7 Australian Athletics Cup Brisbane, QLD 8 World Cross Country Trial Canberra, ACT 13-15 NSW Open & U18 Champs SOPAC 21 Allcomers SOPAC 28 Sydney Track Classic SOPAC March 5 Melbourne Grand Prix Melbourne, VIC 7 Australian 20km Walk C’Ships Melbourne, VIC 7-8 NSW U23, U20 & U16 C’Ships SOPAC 14 Allcomers SOPAC 19-21 Australian Championships Brisbane, QLD 28 World Cross Country Amman, Jordan 28 Perth Track Classic Perth, WA 28-29 NSW Masters Championships SOPAC April 3-5 Australian U20 & U23 C’Ships Adelaide, SA 11-13 Australia Post Stawell Gift Stawell, VIC