Spikes Magazine - Autumn 2012

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AUTUMN 2012

THE GREATEST RACE OF ALL TIME? The inside track on Rudisha’s world record run

FARAH POLE VAULT SCIENCE SHOULD WE BAN PACEMAKERS? BOLT RUTHERFORD KLISHINA

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Issue 08 Autumn 12

Bang! Relive the Olympics, bowl like Blake, meet Jody and Bayo 4-11 Greg Rutherford The world’s best long jumper leaps back in time 12-13 Out of the blocks How athletics inspired four Olympians to win gold 14-17 The big debate Should pacemakers jog on? Our grand jury decides 18-19 David Rudisha Find out how the Masai warrior ran the perfect race 20-25 London roars Proof that the Olympic Stadium shook with noise 26-27 How it works Everything you didn’t know about pole vaulting 28-31 Super Agent Meet the man who looks after Mo, Usain and Co 32-33 Darya Klishina Heading to Moscow? Ms Klishina is expecting you... 34-37 It happened here... Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, home of Coe v Ovett 38-39

Editor Nikki Wicks Art director Tim Scott Associate editor Steve Landells Writer/sub editor James Charlton Designer Jon Butterworth Picture editors Jenny Quiggin, Dominique Campbell Digital management Wendy Southern Editorial director Simon Kanter Group art director Martin Tullett Director Cormac Bourne Managing director Andrew Taplin Chief executive Kevin Costello For IAAF Laura Arcoleo, Nick Davies Repro Haymarket Prepress, England Photography GettyImages.com, Chris Hornbecker, Corbis, Action Images, Alamy, Press Association Images, Rex Features, Shutterstock, St Mary’s University College, Adrian Myers, Mirrorpix, Anton Denisov/RIA Novosti e-mail SPIKES editor@spikesmag.com Website www.spikesmag.com Twitter @spikesmag Produced for IAAF by Haymarket Network, Teddington Studios, Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 9BE, UK. Telephone +44 (0) 20 8267 5000.

Reprinting in whole or in part is forbidden except with prior permission of the publisher. Due care is taken to ensure that the content of SPIKES is fully accurate, but the publisher cannot accept liability for errors and omissions.

Gatlin’s there!

!

THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

Look aT… whatshisname?

Here HE comes the big man

Here comesthe big man (ALi G finger snapping)

The bigOhhhhhhH man

Former 110m hurdles world champion Colin Jackson couldn't contain his excitement off-camera, providing this high octane commentary to the Olympic men's 100m final. He actually shouted “9.64”, the time first shown in the stadium, as Bolt completed part one of his 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m title defence at London 2012.

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THE BIG MAN

The big man Ah ha ha

9.63!

5

! t ’ n o d y The … t e k c i like cr

THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

it, and They love rounded SPIKES has create the them up toetic cricket most athl , coming team ever pavilion soon to a near you

Christian Taylor (USA)

Son of Barbadian parents, Christian loves his cricket and plays whenever he visits Barbados. “I think I’m a pretty good bowler,” he says. We’ll see.

Christian Malcolm (England and Wales)

Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic javelin champion, Mr Lighthouse owes his great technique to a youth spent playing cricket.

He once bowled to the great Brian Lara.

He used to compete at both javelin and cricket as a junior, the 30-year-old Kiwi finished ninth in the 2012 Olympic javelin final, and completes our fiery pace attack.

Yohan Blake (West Indies)

This right-arm very fast bowler has been courted by Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash league. Says he can bowl at “around 85-90mph” and can bat too.

The Beast hit a six recently and broke a car window playing T20. Smashing!

The 2010 European 200m silver medallist ran a training session this summer to help the England cricket team run faster between the wickets. We’re hoping he can call in a few favours.

Keshorn Walcott (West Indies)

Stuart Farquhar (New Zealand)

Ryan Gregson (Australia)

The Australian 1500m starlet loves his backyard cricket, which isn't usually enough to impress the SPIKES selection board.

But then we found out he shares DNA with parthuman part-cricket god Sir Don Bradman.

Sunette Viljoen (South Africa)

She won javelin bronze in Daegu last year and on her Test debut v India in 2002 the all-rounder hit a second-innings 71.

The only person to do both properly, Viljoen is our captain and star player.

Joan

Daugh na Hayes ter o (USA) the 2 f a cricket hurdle 004 Olymp coach, s her ha champion ic 100m and b nd at wicke has tried atting . Spike t-keeping has th smag.com e evid ence.. .

Usain Bolt (West Indies)

He clean-bowled Windies star Chris Gayle during a charity match in 2010 and celebrated with a lap of honour. He then chased Gayle down the pitch and pointed him back to the pavilion.

Hannah England (England)

Her younger sister and older brother have both captained Oxfordshire, and Hannah only gave up cricket to focus on running. Now she's back.

Steve

He’s w Hooker ( o there n every po Australia le is ) favour , and says c vault title r it are th e sport wh icket is his en u that b mping Engla the Aussie een go s n ing re d. How has cently , Steve ?

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BONUS CULTURE There's more to winning than a nice medal and some flowers, you know. Check out the kind of swag on offer for an Olympic gold...

Keshorn Walcott Javelin champion LIGHTHOUSE

Walcott was given £100,000, enough land to house two standard athletics tracks, a luxury house and even had a lighthouse named in his honour. His name will also feature on a Caribbean Airlines plane.

Jess Ennis Heptathlon champion FOOTBALL STAND

The World’s Fastest Interview…

ARIES MErritt The 110m hurdles champ on world records, jet lag and Rihanna Olympic gold or smashing the world record at the Diamond League?

Winning gold is permanent but breaking a world record can be taken away at any time. The WR was a bit more satisfying because to me it validated my Olympic win.

Sheffield United, who play in the third tier of English football, renamed their Bramall Lane stand 'The Jessica Ennis Stand' after the 26-year-old fan won heptathlon gold.

"She is probably Sheffield's biggest ever star," said the club's owner Kevin McCabe.

Sean Bean must be devastated.

Anna Chicherova High Jump champion AUDI A8

How did you celebrate winning your gold medal at London 2012?

I really didn’t have time to celebrate because I was doing all kinds of media stuff and I still had to train so I could chase the WR. If you had to choose to compete in one other event, what would it be?

200 metres because they are essentially the same energy outputs. I think I would do well in that event.

What did you have for breakfast today?

I slept through it 'cause I am still jet-lagged after returning from Europe.

Russia awarded brand new German cars to each medal-winning athlete who competed at the London Olympics. There was an Audi A8 waiting for each gold medallist, like Anna Chicherova, an Audi A7 for silver and one Audi A6 per bronze medal.

Valerie Adams Shot Put champion MARMITE

There are some things money can't buy, and in New Zealand that thing is Marmite. Earthquake damage to a factory in Christchurch led to a national supply crisis that some called 'Marmageddon'.

But there was no crisis for gold medal winners, as Adams was sent bread, butter and a jar of Marmite.

What is your favourite pre-competition snack?

Welch's Fruit Snacks (90 calories).

What are your plans for today?

Absolutely nothing. I am on holiday and enjoying it, no training or travel. Except I am going to NBC to do an interview this afternoon.

If anyone could play you in a film, who would it be?

No idea. But I am a huge gamer so would love to be a character in World of Warcraft.

What's the one thing you have to take with you around the circuit?

My computer for internet, Skype and watching DVDs. My foreign language skills aren’t that good so local TV in some countries doesn’t help pass the time.

Do you have any superstitions?

I didn’t. But after the Diamond League in Lausanne... don’t chase a WR. Just execute and let it happen.

If you weren’t an athlete what would you be doing?

I wouldn’t venture far. I’d coach. In fact, I got the chance to help Reebok’s top basketball players, including John Wall, get a little faster recently.

What's the worst thing you’ve ever worn?

Ha. I am always careful about what I wear and try to be co-ordinated.

Which five celebrity guests would you invite to a dinner party?

Nicki Minaj, Drake, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Angelina Jolie.

!

U O Y K N THI THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

ersona p w o h s t a h c ly b and bub ls a d e m ld o g as dug h ic p S E m ly IK P O , S n , o io t M a r s r b ea ele With his Mobot c teresting than that. So cover your in But he's far more

?

O M W KNO spikesmag.com

rity. b le e c e d fi a n o b a Mo Farah is now 're ready to dish it we up some dirt and

INSON K T A d Best MAn AFoLrmAerNPe W n a R E H T E AC

ially the ories, espec heard the st the in ve ha ed p us d and jum "Many of n ripped nake ember whe st m he re I re ut he b e, g one w . rid g B in on ng Kingst t carol si Thames from boy and he went ou g a few hool carol singin sc ng a oi as g w oy b he and lim s us le g M ig young in fits of g This was a as. He was tm is hr C e days befor d. champion, k sang a wor ble Olympic I don’t thin ou d a as ple often e him ; surreal. Peo nt he "To now se gs to mind le rin ta sp of d rt or well, one w and what so he was like t ha w e m ask ungster. was as a yo ous Mo It was obvi for nt le ta had a k he I don’t thin ppy running but wasn't e H . ce g, so was ha ra was runnin won his first he e re th r he w fo f sure took of 100 per cent k someone pack. I thin t. ac re to sit in the d ul nslow AC to efore Mo co own to Hou d finish line b o g to than Mo, m ed hi a lot older "I encourag 48 now, so that’s am d I . an g r in ou nn nse of hum start his ru se e his Best m as sa e e m e e th ink he chos but we shar th I t I had l. el or p w on so for the sup why we get d to ha a thank you of he it b an m tle g Man as a lit s. As a youn ded ar un ye ro e g th er very given him ov any barriers but he is m so " e s. overcom and grace put on airs and doesn’t

n o s p m o h T s R i E r COLh FELLOW RUNN D FRIEND AND

e h k in h t n e v e 't n o "I d " won the first race

L L A R E V O T T O C SUSHER AT MO'S WEDDING

hepstow at we had at C ip tr e I was on mpionship.

"I remember other Schools’ Cha an h is d rit an B he 97 the 19 ove Mo, but d ab ol up an ro d g aged to fin in the age ars. cCash, man M ye e r fo Le d e, he et athl n touc er hadn't bee st rememb tractor that moving. I ju it ot g ey ...

Somehow th ing off into the sunset rid once rprise me. I Lee and Mo the s doesn’t su was asking d an "His succes m 0 80 an it. n n ra ru he to remember art line how s had es on the st 8. He alway 1:4 other athlet n ra d an t her. ou et t g en to He then w ey are all and now th d the s an ce ld ie p fie e or th all seni dominate a him."

He can now ightened of fr l al e ar opposition

n o lt i M ad r n tee CMoo's former coach (the nage years)

ery Park and ev her in Bushy et t g as to le n at ru or imes ssion, "We somet deer impre h every he does this akes me laug e m ch hi w r, time we do th ee in d , a er g of d un t yo soun e were a lo e top makes the w th n er he ov w ll once hts, he ran ig hl g ere hi time. I reca w e nd w de when Mo had blo to the other si days when n ed rn ow d tu d re an e w van only when ing lk as of a transit ta w It an n. m ning ru e noticed a w n n ru out on a trai e ra d th meone ha the end of ry happy so the track at He wasn't ve h. ac . co m r to ou f the alar e meet up n, setting of but when w over his va at running t him, and e m ea t b s ea b ay "Mo might tation I alw enal yS la P e is th ute he Ars A on and play FIF ges his team. One min an he always ch adrid." he's Real M xt ne e th and

nfident and . ways very co "Mo was al in everything the positive ld e or se W to 99 ht 19 soug at the remember However, I in Poland he s p hi ns n io p m ha C h ut . He had bee Yo the 3000m in h xt m si hi d er finishe memb ning and I re ying well done? used to win le sa p eo p e ar saying ‘Why ’ xth! , one I finished si erformance ally good p he just ut b , ts "It was a re en ev ce ternational ber him on of his first in I also remem t . en in w ev y to tr d wante oss-coun a national cr olnshire. He hit a running at nc here like Li who up in somew like the other athletes un , ut b ecided to d o puddle M e, g out nd the ed skirted arou e puddle, which was ab th ot h g ug ut b ro , run th right in eep. He fell three feet d the race." in w to on t up and wen

e h t r e v o t h ig r n a " Mo r ransit van" top of a t YD FSIMMS K C RI RIEND N A T AG E N

that in 2006. At r Christmas n fo ea op nd la ur E Ire to ning the "I took Mo ess was win rock star cc a su e t lik es d g ig te time his b C he was trea inn Valley A try title, but ad race at F cross-coun ro 5K a n . He ra in Donegal h record. , and d the Britis ve with him and equalle ity fell in lo He un e. m nc m si co fans ever "The whole his biggest nights out of d e oo m g so w n fe have bee es."

We had a ch he still us r everyone. had time fo phrases, whi h is Ir w fe nt a and he lear

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THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

Jody and Bayo’s rs e s lo d n a rs e n in w verdict Celebrity fans the Furlong twins give their Queen Val

UP

Valerie Adams once again takes her rightful place as Olympic champion. The Kiwi shot putter has 30 consecutive wins and hasn’t lost an outdoor championship since winning bronze at the 2005 World Championships. With gold now in two Olympic Games, she’s rapidly closing in on G.O.A.T. status, and all by the age of 27! Most importantly, she’s our favourite athlete in the world.

Arm flag army

All the rage with the more discerning athletics supporter this season, arm flags are set to be the new craze sweeping the world in 2013. They allow you to applaud, Tweet, phone a friend or more importantly keep drinking while supporting your favourite team. Visit www.armflag.com.

Super Saturday

With other sports already amassing gold medals galore

Team GB’s athletes wanted to get back on track, but no one was expecting this.

Three Olympic gold medals in 45 minutes was the finest night of athletics Britain has ever produced. Jessica Ennis stormed to gold in the HEP with an 800m victory, swiftly followed by Greg Rutherford in the long jump and capped off by Mo Farah’s 10K triumph.

It’s not often you see history happen before your eyes.

Celebrations

It used to be just Carolina Kluft whose celebrations grabbed the crowd’s attention. Then Blanka got in on the act with her victory dance and Usain’s ‘Bolt’ made headlines. Now everyone’s at it – The Mobot, Dawn Harper ’s cartwheel, Robert Harting’s hurdles and Yohan Blake’s ‘The Beast’. It’s great for athletes to show their personality. Now we need more of the same for 2013.

Athletics goes viral Move over Blanka Vlasic, athletics has a new dancing queen. The 19-year-old Aussie Michelle Jenneke has attracted 20m YouTube hits with this pre-race jive, performed at the 2012 World Junior Championships

Here’s how to become an Internet sensation:

When your name is called by the stadium announcer, turn to face the camera (or your bedroom mirror), place your hands on your waist and start your routine.

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Liu Xiang

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DOWN

We thought our favourite hurdler would dominate his event for years after he won Olympic gold in a WR time in Athens. The rise of Dayron Robles, we thought, would make for a classic rivalry.

Unfortunately it’s not Robles, Oliver or Merritt but his left achilles that has proved his biggest adversary and for the second Olympics in a row he didn’t make it past the first hurdle. But don’t count him out; at his best he has the beating of everyone. The world champs in Beijing 2015 will be the perfect place to prove it.

year, and even Mr Farah has favoured weak domestic fields over the world’s best in Paris or Zurich. Diamond League was supposed to encourage competition but some seem to feel they can do without it, and sell fans short.

wTJ

For the second year in a row nobody has jumped more than 15m in the women’s triple jump. Not only that but Anna Biryukova’s winning distance at the inaugural TJ world champs for women in 1993 would have won gold in London.

Somebody needs to take the opportunity, grab this event by No shows the scruff of the neck and drag The world’s best sprinters spent it into the 21st century. the summer avoiding each other and the Olympic women’s Oscar Pistorius 1500m and 3K steeplechase Not only was his interview winners have competed only after his T44 Paralympic 200m three times each this summer final defeat ungracious it was in their specialist event. The also inaccurate. Alan Oliveira otherwise perfect Ms Felix was wearing blades that were has run her principal event in perfectly legal and Pistorius only four competitions this could have worn them.

Now alternate those snake hips, transferring your body weight between each hip five times. You must do it with increasing amounts of oomph. Look sultry.

On the sixth beat spring into the air.

Smile and toss your head as if you’re in a TV shampoo ad.

After three leaps, shake out each leg while crossing your wrists and wriggling your fingers. And keep smiling.

Milk the applause, you’ve earned it.

All you have to do now is run...

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GREG RUTHERFORD

A JUMP BACK T

per, SPIKES jum g lon st be h 11t ’s rld wo e th s wa he en In 2009, wh ns. Now he’s the tio es qu al on rs pe ry ve me so rd fo er th Ru asked Greg anged? ch he s ha , So . ain ag him k as ’d we t gh ou Olympic champion we th What did you have for breakfast today?

only OLD GREG: It was not good. I was on the move so 10am. at ich sandw a have did I but ... a large coffee a NEW GREG: Because I was so busy, I didn’t have e chance. I was at a hotel and I had literally no chanc. to eat. I didn’t eat until lunch, and that was a salad

Who would play you in a film?

I don’t OLD GREG: I’d have to pick a ginger actor really. I’m but r ginge not he’s know I am, Stath Jason know. going to go for him. ginger, NEW GREG: Probably Damian Lewis because he’s and in my opinion he’s pretty cool.

What colour is Wednesday?

OLD GREG: Blue just came into my head.

NEW GREG: Red.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why? well for OLD GREG: Probably to fly because it works quiteand my event. If I could fly, I’d fly when I was jumping make it look like I was jumping. place NEW GREG: To Fly. Makes life easier getting fromevent. to place. Obviously it would help slightly with my jump I’d have to pretend I didn’t have that power and just enough to win each time using my flying powers.

].

[SPIKES: You just said Christian Malcolm in 2009I’ve got a dong. ding ng Flippi point? that at I was How sad few on there now.

body?

What is the least favourite part of your been the bane of

OLD GREG: My hair. It is ginger and has le. my life. Since day one the stick you get is unbelievab se I’ve I’ve endured 22 years now of horribleness becau got ginger hair. It still goes on now. I was once called st thing copperknob. My mates thought it was the funnie but, of course, they soon forget the copper bit. the NEW GREG: Probably my manky feet. I’ve embraced ginger hair completely. I love it now.

If you could star in another athletics event what would it be and why? close with

OLD GREG: I would say the 400m. I’m quite levels Tim Benjamin [world No.7 in 2005] and I know the ber remem I it. in well do to gh throu of pain he had to go I ran it. when I was younger I had an asthma attack after e In the UK the 400m is a very popular event and peopl have a lot of respect for it. er NEW GREG: My 100m PB is 10.26, but it will be quick than that next year, I reckon I might be able to push 10.0, that’s the aim, trying to get in that relay team. se You know what? I want to be a high jumper becau rz those guys have fun all the time. Like [Robbie] Graba you and Jesse [Williams]. They have a great time, and e mention any form of hard training to them and they’r like, ‘nah, I just jump really high’.

If you could play another sport other than athletics, what would it to be? met are

OLD GREG: Rugby. All the rugby players I’ve really smart and good conversationalists. It’s a reallyto good, fun sport to be involved in and the team seem be closer than in football. eigh.

NEW GREG: Probably ice hockey. Or skeleton bobsl

d you be?

If you could be an animal what woul rite animal. Just

OLD GREG: An elephant. It is my favou can a big powerful animal. It walks around and not much really affect it.. cat NEW GREG: It would have to be some form of big quite e they’r se becau rd leopa a be bly proba I’d I think. as cool. They’re pretty fast and agile. Quite interesting so… And well. And rare. With my hair colouring I am rare, me. they can pounce and jump, so they’re relevant to

Favourite karaoke tune?

best OLD GREG: I’ve normally shied away from it but my one friend got that Lips [Xbox game] and against everyBy else me and him were undefeated. We sang ‘Stand Me’ by Ben E. King in NEW GREG: I’ve never sung karaoke. If I said I had 2009 I was obviously breaking under the pressure.

I’ve literally never in my life sung karaoke.

party guests?

Who would be your five ideal dinne,rKanye West for

OLD GREG: Lee Evans for comedy value I didn’t the music, my girlfriend, Liz, who would kill me if be would he think I se becau my son with Fergu nt mention her, Alex OLD GREG: What has helped me at the mome It has ’s a well controversial and William the Conqueror. There of the coolest kit? run up is a trance tune, Mauro Picotto’s ‘Lizard’. has n natio h Whic the Battle and y histor my into quite I’m time. one. m long a the for rando at kit mine been a big favourite of OLD GREG: I like the USA kit. The German music Hastings is my favourite part of history. I’d be NEW GREG: I listen to so many different genres of ey European Juniors in 2005 was beautiful, absolutely tranc interested to know more about him. but it would probably be some sort of beautiful. what e updat and e lly chang actua s I NEW GREG: Right. I’d pick some form of historical se alway I . becau kit music y USA house NEW GREG: I always want the By ed ‘Blind ts, Stree The monarch that did some big change for Britain. I’d for go I listen to. I’ll quite like it.

[Mike dude That tune. normally go William the Conqueror, Henry VIII andwith The Lights’. A wicked Victoria; three major periods in Britain. But I’ll go day? ct perfe Skinner] is a flippin’ genius. your Could you describe one, William the Conqueror. tain moun a of top OLD GREG: I spend the day on I’ll then throw somebody quite funny into the mix; How much money do you have in your where with some skis attached to my feet. I was he’s some ent?

Russell Brand, I want him to be my friend because have pocket at the mom a skier, although I’ve not done it for a few years now. he’d n recko I se becau Best e Georg crêpe very funny and OLD GREG: £2.37.

I miss skiing massively. I’d round it off with a nice some wicked stories.

NEW GREG: I just took a £5 note out and threw cano.

Ameri an the and I don’t wanna be too clichéd and too laddish… But it on the side to clear out my pockets. have NEW GREG: My perfect day would be getting to havesleep to going now I’m usly obvio ls, mode t Secre ia Victor a lie-in beyond about half six. So let’s go wild, let’s incredibly beautiful. And then Who is the most famous person on your in till nine, and then cook a nice breakfast. I try and stay to be laddish. They’re just then I get, like, 10. The whole and one, as them class I’d would it day ideal mobile? my away from carbs, although on se 10. becau it’s him think tell I to them, some want of with set don’t I : day OLD GREG probably be pancakes. Then I’d spend the I’ll go with Jesse Owens because it was quite an the it will boost his ego... Christian Malcolm. loved ones in a coffee shop drinking good and s friend got to have to shop, interesting time in the world of athletics. You’ve a NEW GREG: It’s probably going coffee. Not just any old coffee shop, a good coffee es stories, you’ve got cool some got you’ve , candy schem eye with up g be Rick Edwards [Channel 4 presenter] comin drinking very good coffee and things. funny bloke. You’ve got the lot. at the moment. Let me have a look, I’m and plans of what to do with life and where to take that’s Faith, a Palom just checking…

This one is just for new Greg. What will future egg? probably one. Lewis Moody [retired What came first, the chicken or thebelief and God Greg be like in 2016? in England rugby player]. Nick Moran slight a OLD GREG: The chicken. I have t to win NEW GREG: Maybe I’ll be somebody people expec a good out of Lock Stock and Harry created it would have been the was en chick the when has who guy the as n know now. be few to a Got want I stuff. more. a bit Potter and chicken first and it would sit there and hatch. chance and is going to be one of the favourites.

Did I say Christian Malcolm and chicken. But who really knows?

The : GREG NEW Linford Christie last time?

What is your theme tune?

spikesmag.com

TO THE FUTURE

I s a w d a s w o H ? m o lc a M n a ti s ri h “C ” G N O D G IN D g in p p li F t? in o p t at tha

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14

ATHLETICS ALUMNI

Anthony Joshua

Boxing – Olympic super heavyweight champion The British boxer may be better known for his explosive punching power but as a teenager he also revealed a natural flair for sprinting. Joshua won the Hertfordshire County Championships 100m title as an under-15 athlete, running an impressive 11.67 at the time and he believes that his background in athletics has helped with his knockout career in the ring.

“It has helped with my training, for sure,” says London-based Joshua.

“Hill sprints and early morning sessions on the running track are something that I do up to six times a week. Sprinting has definitely helped with my footwork as well. I’m quite light on my feet for a heavyweight. People sometimes don’t realise how much leg work I do. A lot of focus is on my upper body when I box but my sprinting has played a huge part in my leg speed and strength. I guess it was a good way of making my legs strong but quick.”

“Sprinting has helped with my footwork”

. . .

O T L L A I OWE IT

S C I T E L H AT Four of Britain’s gold medallists from London 2012 have another sport to thank for putting them on the right track for success

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Laura Bechtolsheimer

Equestrian Dressage – Olympic Team champion The equestrian discipline of dressage may not appear at first to have a natural connection with athletics. Yet as Great Britain’s Olympic gold medallist Laura Bechtolsheimer reveals she was a more than useful sprinter in her youth.

“I qualified as an under-13 girl for the English Schools’ Championships in the 100m and 200m,” she says. “It was at Stoke-on-Trent and the first time I’d ever worn spikes. I won the trials, got to the nationals and even reached the final. I remember I was about a foot shorter than everyone else and they were so much faster than me.”

She later concentrated on hockey and dressage but she still enjoys running.

“I do more longer-distance stuff now,” says Bechtolsheimer, who also won bronze in the individual dressage at London 2012. “I’m not that keen on going for a run in the winter but in the summer I’ll try to go out maybe once or twice a week for about half an hour.”

“I WAS A FOOT SHORTER tHAN EVERYONE ELSE AND THEY WERE MUCH FASTER”

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16

ATHLETICS ALUMNI

Alistair Brownlee Triathlon – Olympic Men’s champion

legends Naming Ethiopian distance Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele as two of his sporting icons offers a clue to the British athlete’s first passion.

Alistair Brownlee, whose younger brother Jonny won the bronze medal in the Olympic triathlon, was a gifted endurance athlete as a youngster, featuring as a successful county fell runner and runner-up in the junior National Cross Country Championships.

“My parents had a house in the [Yorkshire] Dales at the time and from as young as I can remember I did cross country and fell running. It just seemed fun as a kid,” he says.

Brownlee was good enough to compete for Great Britain in the under-23 race at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships, and ran an outstanding 29:07 for the 10km running leg as part of his gold medalwinning Olympic triathlon performance.

“FROM AS YOUNG AS I REMEMBER I DID CROSS COUNTRY”

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Helen Glover

ROWING – WOMEN’s olympic COXLESS PAIRS CHAMPION Endurance is a key quality for excelling in rowing and Helen Glover believes her background as a cross country runner was crucial to her development as an Olympic athlete. She won Great Britain’s first gold medal of London 2012 alongside Heather Stanning, covering 2000m in just under seven minutes.

Glover, from Cornwall, began running when she was just nine years old and throughout her school years performed to a high standard, winning South of England age-group titles in both the 1500m and 3000m. When she was 15 she represented England in the Home Countries Cross Country Championships.

“It gave me my basic fitness,” says Glover, 26, who still runs once a week as part of her rowing training. “But more importantly it also gave me a racing mentality and the tactics that were involved in athletics are also something I have carried over to rowing.”

“IT GAVE ME A RACING MENTALITY I CARRIED TO ROWING”

17

the big question

SHOULD

E T A B DE

the

18

PACEMAKERS

BE BANNED? David Rudisha’s 800m gold at London 2012 showed that you don’t need pacemakers to break world records.

So have the rabbits had their day? We ask the experts Trevor Painter

Coach to Jenny Meadows, 2009 world 800m bronze medallist “I believe there is a role for both paced and nonpaced races on the European circuit.

Some paced races have over-ambitious targets, which hinder the majority of competitors. A well-paced race can be beneficial for young, developing European athletes to gain qualification standards. However, some athletes have become too reliant on pacemakers and need to learn the subtle art of championship racing.”

Andrew Osagie

Olympic 800m finalist and British number one “There needs to be a mixture of paced and non-paced races. I don’t think every race should not be paced, as I think that it allows athletes to run a quick time. But to have more championship-style races without a pacemaker to help learn your craft would definitely be good.”

“ SOME ATHLETES HAVE BECOME TOO RELIANT ON PACEMAKERS AND NEED TO LEARN THE SUBTLE ART OF RACING”

spikesmag.com Diane Cummins

Part-time pacemaker, 800m Commonwealth bronze medallist “I’ve been pacemaking since about 2001-02 because in Canada suddenly you needed to set so many quick times within a year to make the team. It was often a way of helping team-mates achieve their goals. Now, on the professional circuit, running as a pacemaker can help me earn a bit

Shannon Rowbury

US 1500m world bronze medallist in 2009 “I would hate to see the end of pacemakers. Time goals and personal bests are one of the greatest parts of our sport. I think there needs to be better communication between the athletes and the meet management to set a pace that is realistic for the field. But without pacemakers, distance world records would be almost unreachable.”

Rich Kenah

Athletics agent and 1997 world 800m bronze medallist “No. We should not scrap pacemakers, although we should use them more selectively; when a great match-up does not exist or a record is a possibility. Athletes, agents and race directors are all under pressure to deliver a great fan experience to stadium spectators and broadcast audiences. Simple rabbited time trials are exciting when they are promoted as something special to witness. They lose their value when every 800m race and longer turns into a single file line of athletes racing the clock.”

Ian Stewart

UKA’s head of endurance, 1972 Olympic 5000m bronze medallist “In general the use of pacemakers should be toned down. It is a bit over the top at the moment. It is essential that athletes learn to race against each other. The ability to adapt tactics and strategy in a major final is more important than the ability to chase a time.”

of money. You get the odd race of real significance when the pacemakers help to pace a world record, but most races are about setting a time. Often athletes don’t have the ability or confidence to front run to set a fast time. It doesn’t always work out. Sometimes you are asked to help set a pace that will bring the 1500m field in, say, 3:57-3:59, and the girls don’t follow the pace. That can be a bit dissatisfying.”

19

Garry Hill

Editor, Track and Field News and Olympic Stadium announcer “I’m a dogmatic antipacemaker as I think it removes thinking from the sport. Races should be made in the head of an athlete and not designed by a guy in a suit who has laid down the time in a hotel before the race. It ruins the essence of the sport and I don’t like seeing a paced race. Even a race that ends up a world record leaves me cold. There is nothing that short-changes the fans more than seeing a race advertised as a record attempt falling short.”

Craig Winrow

Andrew Osagie’s coach “With the qualifying times for major championships being so tough, it is vital that we have pacemakers in certain races so the athletes can achieve those times. There is also the need to have some races without pacemakers, so athletes can learn how to race tactically, as is the case in heats and semi-finals of major competitions.”

Patrick Magyar

Meeting Director, Weltklasse Zurich “In 2007 we banned pacemakers. We got a lot of people who were saying it was always the same guys winning the long-distance races, and we’d rather see them competing without pacemakers. But we abandoned it after the first year because we got a lot of negative feedback from athletes who said they were in good shape and wanted to use the meeting to run a personal best.

Not having pacemakers didn’t necessarily make the races more interesting. What we have done since 2007 is talk to the athletes at the top to see what kind of time they want to run. If we have the top men in the 5000m and they’d rather run tactically, or someone going for the US record, we’ll aim for the time to be 12:50-12:55 rather than going for something unreasonable at 12:45. In the end it depends on how evenly matched the field is.

If you have three athletes who are way above the rest, the race can be boring with or without a pacemaker. If you have eight or nine guys who can run at a similar pace, that can be interesting.”

“ RACES SHOULD BE MADE IN THE HEAD OF THE ATHLETE AND NOT BY A GUY IN A SUIT WHO HAS LAID DOWN THE TIME IN a HOTEL”

CHRISTIAN MILZ

Director General, European Athletics “Our focus is on the quality of competition and on creating champions. We believe the athletes do not need an external stimulus like a pacemaker to bring out their best. The pride and prestige involved with representing one’s country is enough motivation to give their best. That is precisely what the audience in the stadium and on TV expects. We do not see the need of a pacemaker at the championships organised by European Athletics.”

Chris Thompson

GB distance runner and 2010 European silver medallist “I think pacemakers play a huge role and without them a lot of Diamond League races are very one-dimensional. Races with pacemakers actually offer a lot of diversity. It doesn’t always mean the field will follow the pacemakers.

Without pacemakers, I think you would see the same people win all the time.

To take them away would make the Diamond League less interesting.”

20

DAVID RUDISHA

"Don’t follow me

spikesmag.com

or you'll diE" The inside story of the

greatest 800m race ever

21

22

DAVID RUDISHA

S

hortly after David Rudisha blasted around two laps of London’s Olympic Stadium in a new world record time of 1:40.91, his agent James Templeton rang the Kenyan athlete’s coach, Brother Colm O’Connell.

You may have expected the talk to be peppered with congratulatory streams of consciousness but for the most part there was silence. O’Connell had watched the final from his home in the Kenyan village of Iten, while Templeton had seen the drama unfold in the stadium.

As O’Connell recalls: “I said: ‘James, I’ve nothing to add. What can I say?’ The phone then went silent on the other end. We were both stuck for words and we put the phone down without talking.”

They had not only witnessed the fastest 800m race in history, but also the greatest in terms of quality. And the world record was achieved without the aid of pacemakers, an almost unheard of achievement for an endurance race in the modern era (see p18).

“It was not just a personal achievement for David,” says O’Connell. “In a sense everyone came off the track with some personal satisfaction.”

Setting the record straight

Rudisha simply ran the opposition off their feet with an irresistible front-running performance. But it was not the result of long-term strategy. It was a decision taken

by the athlete when he entered the stadium that evening.

“The Olympic gold was always the number one priority,” says O’Connell, the genial 64-year-old Irish missionary. “If we’d have gone in there saying ‘we were going to break the world record’, then anything less would have been a failure. Mentally, we wanted to play down talk of a world record that would have added pressure – although David had talked of setting an Olympic record.”

On the night of the final, Rudisha’s approach and focus shifted. Templeton texted O’Connell prior to the race. “He [Rudisha] is looking good in the warm-up.”

It was also a perfect night, around 25°C and sunny, without a breath of wind.

“It may have been when he walked into the stadium from the call room, in the beautiful sunshine, in front of that number of people he thought, ‘I’m going to go for it’.”

And go for it he did, charging through 400m in 49.28, and backing that up with a second lap of 51.63 to blow the field away.

Message in the warm-up

Such was Rudisha’s single-minded intent, he even tipped off his Kenyan team-mate and former training partner Timothy Kitum. As O’Connell says: “David told Timothy on the warm-up track: ‘I’m going to run 400 metres in 49 [seconds]. Don’t follow me, or you’ll die towards the end’.”

Kitum heeded the warning and backed off

THE HOLY COACH O'Connell rarely leaves Iten town

spikesmag.com

23

“David told Timothy on the warm-up track ‘I’m going to run 400 metres in 49 seconds.

Don’t follow me or you’ll die towards the end”

ace r st e t a e r g The

R

a (KEN) 1.40.91 W h is d u R d vi a D 1 :41.73 NR WJR (BOT) 1 s o m A l 2 Nije 3 PB Kitum (KEN) 1:42.5 y th o im T 3 :42.82 PB (USA) 1 n o m lo o S e n 4 Dua monds (USA) 1:42.95 PB 5 Nick Sym d Aman (ETH) 1:43.20 NR 6 MohammreKaki (SUD) 1:43.32 SB 7 AbubawkeOsagie (GBR) 1:43.77 PB Andre

8

24

DAVID RUDISHA

“The Masai tribe has a distinct warrior spirit.

David on the track is in the warrior category.

He runs with poise, self-esteem and pride”

spikesmag.com

during the first lap, taking the bell in sixth place before storming through in the latter stages to win the bronze medal.

The making of a champion

You would think that a man of Rudisha’s gifts has been winning races for fun since childhood, but that was not always the case.

O’Connell has guided some of Kenya’s finest runners, from 1988 Olympic 1500m champion Peter Rono to 1992 Olympic steeplechase champion Matthew Birir, but the first time he saw Rudisha he had finished “maybe fifth” in a 200m sprint on a dirt track at a primary school district championships.

“He had a tall, elegant stride and he was someone you would remember, even though he didn’t win it,” says O’Connell. “I stored it in the back of my mind and left it there.

The next year I saw him doing decathlon, so I saw him compete in the 100m, 110m hurdles and 1500m. I’d watched him compete at a full range of events. That’s when I made my first contact with David.”

O’Connell quizzed the 16-year-old and realised that he was getting no support from his school, so invited him along to his training group. He quickly encouraged Rudisha to try the 800m, an inspired switch.

25

His first time trial for the event saw him clock a hand-timed 1:49.6 to defeat a national schoolboy champion.

O’Connell, born in Cork, had originally arrived from Ireland in 1976 on a two-year placement to teach at Iten’s Catholic boarding school, St Patrick’s. He and James Templeton, an Australian athletics manager, have skilfully guided the softly-spoken Rudisha to three world records, world and Olympic titles.

In many ways he is the complete two-lap runner. What makes him so good? “He’s elegant and has a great rhythm of movement,” says O’Connell. “But it’s also down to his personality. He’s analytical about his running. He can read a race and knows where to improve so that makes my job a lot easier. In a sense David owns his training, and I take on the role more of a facilitator.”

Yet there is one other outstanding trait that sets Rudisha apart from many of his rivals, particularly domestic ones.

“He is from the Masai tribe,” says O’Connell. “The running tribe in Kenya is the Kalenjins but the Masai has a distinct warrior spirit and David on the track is in the warrior category. He runs with poise, self-esteem and pride.”

Three OF THE BEST 800m FINALS Alberto Juantorena (CUBA) Montreal 1976 Olympics 1:43.50 WR Dismissed by the pre-race favourite, USA’s Rick Wohlhuter, Juantorena opened up an early lead and took the bell in 50.9. India’s Sriram Singh briefly overtook Juantorena but the leggy Cuban produced a stunning burst of prolonged speed to regain the lead and take gold. His gutsy run set a new world record and four days later he won the 400m too.

Paul Ereng (Kenya) Budapest 1989 World Indoors 1:44.84 Indoor WR A surprise gold medallist at the Seoul 1988 Olympics, Ereng used a similar tactic to win in Budapest, springing from the back of the pack with a flatout sprint. In an electrifying sub-25-second fourth and final lap he made the rest of the field look like they were wading through treacle. He set an indoor world record and claimed another major title.

Vebjorn Rodal (NORWAY) Atlanta 1996 Olympics 1:42.58 OR Roared on by a noisy home crowd, US veteran Johnny Gray led the pack for 700m and surrendered his lead to Rodal only in the home straight. Kenyan Fred Onyancha, Cuban Norberto Telléz and South Africa’s Hezekiél Sepeng also surged past, and all four leading men burst down the home straight to finish sub 1:43.

Rodal took Norway's first and only Olympic track gold.

26

GOOD VIBRATIONS

spikesmag.com

27

CROWD CHEERS CAUSE PHOTO-FINISH

TO SHAKE

As Mo Farah produced his sprint finish to win 5000m Olympic gold, the 80,000-strong London crowd produced an almighty roar of an estimated 140 decibels – as loud as an aeroplane’s take-off.

The noise levels were so high that it caused the camera to shake during the official photofinish, creating waves across the image (left). The picture below shows how it should have looked.

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POLE VAULT

the spikes event guide #1 POLE VAULT

= = ==

the science

1

rgye e n c e te. Th

ti f the athlelete, the e n i K otion o he ath

3

>====

m f t y. g eed o is the This er the sp etic ener great er the kin great

Gravitational potential energy

We define the potential energy to be proportional to the height above the ground. But really, the only thing that matters is the change in gravitational potential energy. This means that we can set the ground to zero energy to make things a little bit simpler.

====>

Photography: Adrian Myers

Rhett Allain, Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University, explains the science behind the pole vault

1 Us = _ ks 2 2

>

It takes speed, strength, agility and bravery. But how does it work? How do athletes prepare? And why does one competitor need eight different poles? Read on...

spikesmag.com

29

THE THEORY The ‘work-energy principle’ says that the work done is equal to its change in energy. Since we have included everything of importance in the equation, there is nothing left to do work on it. This means that the change in energy is zero. Or perhaps you might prefer to say that the total energy, kinetic plus elastic plus gravitational energy, is constant.

< ==

2

HIGH ENERGY

==

== >

If w E sto e tre la red at s in t the ti he pol c flex e li ing ke a pot of t spr he ing en pol , th t e. is i ia s th l ee ner en er gy

gy

E = Ug + Us + K = Constant

h

During the pole vaulting motion, the athlete starts with some kinetic energy as they are still moving and some elastic potential energy from when the pole gets flexed at the end of the run.

OVER THE TOP As the athlete moves up to the bar, both the kinetic energy and elastic potential energy decrease. Since the total energy is constant, this means that the gravitational potential energy must increase and the athlete moves up. Hopefully, the athlete will have enough energy to clear the bar.

IN OTHER WORDS...

Run fast with big stick. Transfer your energy through the vault and hope there’s enough left after take-off to get you over the bar

Ug = mgy

turn over for...

Holly Bleasdale on why she’s glad she used to do gymnastics And Steve Lewis on stiffness, grip and his six-stride pole

30

POLE VAULT

the athlete

Olympic finalist Holly Bleasdale tells spikes it helps if you’re a gymnast

between the ages of six and 11. Today she incorporates gymnastics drills as part of her training, including one exercise she brands Bubka in honour of the great Ukrainian.

“I do a small gymnastics session every week just to keep the basics fresh in my mind.

Mainly I use the high bar to do gymnastics strength exercises, such as the Bubka, this helps train the body to be able to invert easily.

This is a vital exercise and the easier the move is, the better you can pole vault.”

“

I do a small gymnastics session every week just to keep the basics fresh in my mind

“

Russian duo Svetlana Feofanova and Yelena Isinbayeva were both keen gymnasts, and so too British record holder Holly Bleasdale.

“Gymnastics gives me the basic strength and core stability for pole vault and great body awareness,” says Bleasdale, the world indoor bronze medallist. “This can be learnt without gymnastics, but it has made me progress and learn much quicker.”

Bleasdale, who set a new lifetime best of 4.87m indoor in January, was a gymnast

spikesmag.com

31

the equipment

GB No.1 Steve Lewis knows his poles, and here he tells spikes all about them!

1

3

2

4

“There is no limit on how many poles a vaulter can take into a competition, but I normally take eight. I have one warmup pole and then seven I would use when the event starts. The run-up is normally anywhere between six to 18 strides and I have a pole for every two strides, so a six-stride pole, eight-stride pole, ten-stride pole and so on.

Our shortest are 4.6m and the maximum length 5.2m. If I’m missing a pole from a competition it is a bit like carrying a set of golf clubs and forgetting a five iron.”

“Within each pole we have a range of five different levels of stiffness.

The stiffer pole returns more energy, so the higher the vault.

The less stiff poles are made of a lighter material. The amount of flex is measured by hanging a weight from the middle.”

“The other area to get right is the grip. The higher up the pole you grip the pole the more it will bend and the greater the potential to jump higher.”

“

“

“Poles are made from either fibreglass or carbon fibre. The energy tends to travel more in a straight line with the white fibreglass poles. The black carbon fibre poles are generally the choice of the more aggressive vaulter like Steve Hooker. A carbon fibre pole is insane because it gives so much energy.

For smoother vaulters like myself who apply energy more evenly, fibreglass works well.”

If I’m missing a pole from a competition it is a bit like carrying a set of golf clubs and forgetting a five iron

32

SHOW HIM THE MONEY

THE

OLTED B IN A S U E R O F E LE DOOR B B A T S IS H D E N E N WHO OP A M E H T IS S M RICKY SIM

spikesmag.com

H

e may not live up to the stereotype of the flashy, cigarchomping sports agent, but the softly spoken Irishman Ricky Simms looks after the hottest properties in the world of athletics.

Aged just 38, the director of PACE Sports Management is the man behind the two most high-profile athletes on the planet: Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt and double Olympic distance-running champion Mo Farah.

With a quiet, unassuming manner Simms has carefully guided Bolt from raw, gangly teenager to global icon. Yet few know the full story of athletics’ uber-agent.

A decent athlete, good enough to win Irish vests at junior, under-23 and university level, the man from the small town of Milford in County Donegal quickly realised he would never compete at the highest level.

He moved to London to work in athlete services with Kim McDonald, at the time one of the world’s leading agents. Simms was given an ideal apprenticeship by the man who guided the career of 1988 Olympic 1500m silver medallist Peter Elliott and three-time world steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui.

In November 2001 Simms was hit with the devastating news that McDonald, 45, had died of a heart attack. “It was a tough time,” recalls Simms. “I was 27-years-old and had been working for him for only 18 months.

“During this time he had given me a lot of responsibility but his death was a great shock to the entire athletics world. Kim had already thrown me in the deep end on the track and field circuit in 2001, and had introduced me to a lot of the important people in the sport.”

Simms made the decision to carry on, along with McDonald’s long-term business partner Duncan Gaskell, his assistant Jane

33

“ AS AN AGENT I HAVE NEGOTIATED SOME VERY GOOD ENDORSEMENT DEALS FOR ATHLETES, SOME OF THE HIGHEST EVER IN THE SPORT” Howarth, Tom Ratcliffe, who headed up the US office, and Simms’ now-wife Marion Steininger.

They set up a new company, PACE, and in 2003 signed up a 16-year-old Jamaican sprinter by the name of Usain Bolt, who had made a name for himself by winning the 200m world junior title in Kingston a year earlier.

“Even in the greatest moments since: when Usain Bolt won his first medals in the 2008 Olympic Games, when Vivian Cheruiyot won the double in Daegu, when Mo Farah, Christine Ohuruogu and MLF [Mark Lewis-Francis] won their Olympic golds, I always think about Kim and hope he is pleased with how we continued his legacy,” says Simms.

When asked of his proudest accomplishment, he has no doubt: “The role I played in assisting Usain Bolt into a global superstar over the last eight years. As an agent I have negotiated some very good endorsement deals for athletes, some of the highest ever in the sport.”

But Simms is more than just a finance man. He’s also a respected coach, guiding Cheruiyot to double world gold.

“My role differs for different athletes,” he says. “I write the training programmes for most of our African clients.

I am manager, agent, friend to many others. It really depends on the individual and what they require. I love coaching, that was where I started, and it is probably something I will always do.”

Simms looks up to football manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and admires his ability to get the best out of such a large number of players. And although Simms has a stellar cast of 70-plus athletes, he unashamedly focuses much of his attention on Bolt and the other star names contracted to PACE. “I spend a lot of time working with Usain. He is the biggest athlete in the world, and deserves the best treatment.”

34

DARYA KLISHINA

spikesmag.com

35

Long jump's Bond girl on Bubka, body fat, black cats and the boys who pulled her pigtails at sports day...

With all eyes turning towards Moscow for 2013 IAAF World Championships, we’ve found the perfect guide. Darya Klishina, the 21-year-old European indoor champion, gives SPIKES a taste of what the world's best athletes can expect next year

[the

How much of a disappointment was it not to make the Russian Olympic long jump team?

Can you imagine the end of world? At that moment I thought the end of the world came for me. Yes, I look very fragile, but I can withstand mishaps and problems, and I see a new horizon now.

Is that motivating you to make amends and compete at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow?

I believe only silly people do not learn lessons and do not admit their mistakes. It takes a lot of dignity to lose. So I am very much looking forward to the World Championships.

How excited are you?

As I missed the Olympic Games, my natural and strongest desire is to revenge myself and show that I can compete with the best.

The long GAME Klishina jumped a 7.05m PB last year from there. And don't miss the Russian cuisine. I strongly advise that you should taste it!

Is it an advantage to compete in front of a home crowd?

I try to forget what is going on around me. However, I know that my family and friends are sitting in the stands, which makes me more confident. If someone shouts: "We are with you, Dash!" it might be a decisive thing to make me win.

If you could advise any travelling spectators to do three things in Moscow, what would they be and why?

The first place, which is a must for me, is the Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Mausoleum and area around GUM (the former state, now private, shopping mall). Those are historical sites where Russia's history was created, where Russian people saw so much sorrow and great victories.

And they are great architectural monuments.

After that go to the panorama site on the Vorobyevy Mountains (Sparrow Hills). You will enjoy seeing Moscow

How you first got involved in the long jump?

My parents have always given me the right to choose freely, so I went after many hobbies, like dancing, choreography and gypsum (plaster cast) modelling. I was always first at sports at school. I could quickly catch up with the guys who pulled my pigtails. That’s how athletics experts discovered me.

How has your background in volleyball helped you in athletics?

I learned that when you are playing any game, you have to fight for every ball and until the very end. It is very much like in a long jump competition, till the very last attempt.

The genius of pole vaulting, Sergey Bubka, used to say, “As long as you have just one attempt left, you have not lost.”

36

DARYA KLISHINA

spikesmag.com

You have done a lot of fashion modelling in the past.

Is this something you would like to pursue more?

Today this is part of my job. It does not interfere with my long jumping.

What qualities do you need to be a good model?

I am not a professional model. I cannot take 100 poses like Naomi Campbell does. This question should go to her.

Last try, then. Can you draw anything from your experiences of being an athlete to help you in your modelling?

Sport and modelling are two different things. Many photographers say I’m patient, which is an advantage.

It’s hard to say.

What would be your perfect outfit and why?

Like any girl, I want to look ladylike, though most of the time I am wearing sportswear, which, I am sure makes me look as attractive as any dress from my collection. Of course, heels of 10cm will make me even more charming…

If someone could play you in a film, who would it be?

James Bond's steady girl!

If you weren’t an athlete what would you be?

An archaeologist.

What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever said to you?

A fan wrote to me: “You are so skinny. What is your fat percentage? Is it 9?”

Heading to the world champs? Then expect to pay R250 ($8/£5) for a cappuccino and R340 ($11/£6.70) for a Vodka Martini, shaken or stirred to your liking. A posh dinner for two will set you back R4500 ($145/£89) but Big Macs cost only R75 ($2.30/£1.50). All you really need, though, is our handy guide to making friends in Moscow.

Hello, I absolutely love athletics. Do you?

Здравствуйте, я очень люблю легкую атлетику. А Вы?

Which way is it to the Luzhniki Stadium?

Скажите пожалуйста, как добраться до стадиона Лужники?

Hey Darya! Would you like to come bowling with me? Дарья! Хотели бы вы сходить в боулинг со мной?

Can you take me to Robert Harting’s party?

Можете ли вы взять меня на вечеринку Роберта Хартинга?

Where can I pick up a copy of SPIKES magazine?

Где я могу купить/взять копию журнала SPIKES?

I’ll have the borsch (beetroot soup). Я буду борщ.

100 Russian roubles = £1.98 = $3.22

You enjoy bowling in your downtime. How often do you play and what is your best ever score?

This is true. But just once a month, not often. My best result will not amaze you; 182 points. But… there is no limit to perfection.

Have you any superstitions?

I do not have superstitions. I like black cats and seat 13 aboard a plane.

Can you describe your perfect day?

Stay in bed, sleeping until noon with nothing serious on my agenda, have breakfast, go to a spa, buy another dress and jump 7.53m (a world record) in the evening!

KOREA HIGH Jumping to 7th place in Daegu, aged 20

SP

IKE

To read more about Russian athletics visit our website WWW.Spikesmag.com

DARYA THE FEARLESS Black cats, seat 13, she'll take you all on

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S

38

HISTORY

It happened here

The grand old arena where Coe and Ovett won gold is now a shiny modern venue fit for new history makers

I

n recent memory it has been busier as a host of pan-European football matches, pop concerts and local festivals, but the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow was originally built as a symbol of burgeoning Soviet power in the 1950s.

After the Soviet Union won 22 gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the Kremlin wanted a sports complex to inspire a new generation of great athletes.

Construction lasted 450 days (a record, say Russian officials) and it was opened in 1956 as the slightly less catchy ‘Grand Arena of the Central Lenin’ Stadium.

Positioned at the foot of the Sparrow, formerly Lenin, Hills and surrounded on three sides by the Moskva river, over the next six years the Luzhniki will play host to the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, including the final.

Long before John Terry slipped over trying to score the winning penalty for Chelsea in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final, and before Michael Jackson played to a sell-out crowd on his 1993 Dangerous tour, the Luzhniki Stadium was the stage for some epic track battles.

In 1980, it belonged to Seb Coe and Steve Ovett, as the pair slogged it out for middle-distance

supremacy during the Moscow Games.

Ovett entered the 1500m on the back of a 42-race, three-year winning streak over 1500m and one mile. Sailing through his semi-final in imperious form, he had beaten 800m world record holder Coe to 800m gold the previous Saturday.

Coe was distraught: "I chose this day of all days to run the worst race of my life. I cannot explain why. I must have compounded more cardinal sins of middle-distance running in one-and-ahalf minutes than I’ve done in a lifetime."

The British pair met again in the packed stadium on the final day of the athletics programme, Friday 1st August.

Coe and Ovett shared the 1500m world record, but this was their first major head-to-head race over the metric mile.

They also shared a rivalry that, Ovett felt, was unfairly portrayed by the media as a bitter one. "I think it’s a sad loss," he said. "We’re not going to be around that long. You should enjoy us while we’re here and not try and put one down and raise the other all the time."

The hotly anticipated final proved to be a steady, tactical race. East Germany’s Jürgen Straub led Coe, then Ovett, and the increasingly stretched pack through the bell, 11 seconds off world record pace.

Straub made a desperate attempt to take the race away from them down the back straight, and with 200m left he still held a four-metre lead over secondplaced Coe. Almost in tandem, Coe and Ovett produced finishing kicks that tore into Straub’s lead. At the 100m mark the

EST W'S FIN MOSCO uilt 78,360 The reb y stadium capacit ia's biggest is Russ three men were shoulder-to-shoulder-toshoulder, Ovett trailing only fractionally.

Both Straub and Ovett flew down the home straight at speeds that would usually win the 1500m comfortably, but it was at this point that Coe unleashed one of the greatest sprint finishes in middle-distance history. He ran the final 100m in an astonishing 12.1 seconds to win his first Olympic gold medal.

An ecstatic Coe threw his arms into the air before falling to his knees and planting his forehead on to the track. Straub had edged Ovett to take silver, and 103,000 spectators inside the Grand Arena had just witnessed athletics at its finest.

Coe and Ovett celebrated their 1500m and 800m gold medals by going for a few drinks. 'Nazdorovia!' to that.

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