the fastest man on no Legs

faRah PoLe VaULt sCIenCe shoULD We Ban PaCemaKeRs? BoLt RUtheRfoRD KLIshIna

www.spikesmag.com aUTUmN2012

THE GREATEST RACE OF

ALL TIME?TheinsidetrackonRudisha’s

worldrecordrun

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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

Issue 08 Autumn 12

3spikesmag.com

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 @spikesmagProduced 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.

! THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

Ohhhhhhh The big man

gaTlin’s There! lOOk aT… whaTshisname? here he cOmes The big man here cOmes The big man The big man

(ALi G finGer snAppinG)

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.

5spikesmag.com

Ah hA hA 9.63! The big mAn The big mAn

gATlin’s There! look AT… whATshisnAme? here he comes The big mAn here comes The big mAn The big mAn

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 part- human part-cricket god

Sir Don Bradman.

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!

Christian Malcolm

(England and Wales)

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.

Stuart Farquhar (New Zealand) 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.

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.

Joanna Hayes (USA)Daughter of a cricket coach,

the 2004 Olympic 100m hurdles champion has tried her hand at wicket-keeping

and batting. Spikesmag.com has the evidence...

Steve Hooker (Australia) He’s won every pole vault title

there is, and says cricket is his

favourite sport when the Aussies

are thumping England. How has

that been going recently, Steve?

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.

They love iT, AND

SPIKES HAS rOuNDED

THEm uP TO CrEATE THE

mOST ATHlETIC CrICKET

TEAm EvEr, COmING

SOON TO A PAvIlION

NEAr yOu

! THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

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.

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.

They don’T like crickeT…They don’T like crickeT…

Keshorn Walcott (West Indies) 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.

7spikesmag.com

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.

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.

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.

ARIES MERRITT The 110m hurdles champ on world records, jet lag and Rihanna

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...

The World’s Fastest Interview…

BONUS CULTURE

Valerie Adams Shot Put championMARMITEThere 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.

Anna Chicherova High Jump championAUDI A8

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.

Jess Ennis Heptathlon championFOOTBALL STAND

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.

Keshorn Walcott Javelin championLIGHTHOUSE

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.

With his Mobot celebration, Olympic gold medals and bubbly chat show persona Mo Farah is now a bona fide celebrity.

But he's far more interesting than that. So cover your ears Mo, SPIKES has dug up some dirt and we're ready to dish itTHINK YOU KNOW MO?THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS!

Chris ThompsonoLD FriEnD AnD FELLoW rUnnEr

"I remember one trip we had at Chepstow at

the 1997 British Schools’ Championship. I was

in the age group above Mo, but he and another

athlete, Lee McCash, managed to find an old

tractor that hadn't been touched for years.

Somehow they got it moving. I just remember

Lee and Mo riding off into the sunset...

"His success doesn’t surprise me. I once

remember he ran an 800m and was asking the

other athletes on the start line how to run it.

He then went out and ran 1:48. He always had

all the pieces and now they are all together.

He can now dominate a senior field and the

opposition are all frightened of him."

"Many of us have heard the stories, especially the

one where he stripped naked and jumped in the

Thames from Kingston Bridge, but I remember when

he was a schoolboy and he went out carol singing.

This was a young Muslim boy going carol singing a few

days before Christmas. He was in fits of giggles and

I don’t think sang a word.

"To now see him as a double Olympic champion,

well, one word springs to mind; surreal. People often

ask me what he was like and what sort of talent he

was as a youngster.

It was obvious Mo

had a talent for

running but I don’t think he

won his first race. He wasn't

100 per cent sure where he was running, so was happy

to sit in the pack. I think someone took off for the

finish line before Mo could react.

"I encouraged him to go down to Hounslow AC to

start his running. I am 48 now, so a lot older than Mo,

but we share the same sense of humour and that’s

why we get on so well. I think he chose me as his Best

Man as a little bit of a thank you for the support I had

given him over the years. As a young man he had to

overcome so many barriers but he is very grounded

and doesn’t put on airs and graces." "Mo was always very confident and

sought to see the positive in everything.

However, I remember at the 1999 World

Youth Championships in Poland he

finished sixth in the 3000m. He had been

used to winning and I remember him

saying ‘Why are people saying well done?

I finished sixth!’

"It was a really good performance, one

of his first international events, but he just

wanted to win. I also remember him once

running at a national cross-country event

up in somewhere like Lincolnshire. He hit a

puddle but, unlike the other athletes who

skirted around the edge, Mo decided to

run through the puddle, which was about

three feet deep. He fell right in, but got

up and went on to win the race."

"I took Mo to Ireland for Christmas in 2006. At that

time his biggest success was winning the European

cross-country title, but he was treated like a rock star

in Donegal. He ran a 5K road race at Finn Valley AC

and equalled the British record.

"The whole community fell in love with him, and

have been some of his biggest fans ever since. He

had time for everyone. We had a few good nights out

and he learnt a few Irish phrases, which he still uses."

"We sometimes run together in Bushy Park and every

time we do he does this deer impression, or at least

makes the sound of a deer, which makes me laugh every

time. I recall once when we were a lot younger, in the

days when Mo had blond highlights, he ran over the top

of a transit van and down the other side when we were

out on a training run. It was only when we returned to

the track at the end of the run we noticed a man talking

to our coach. He wasn't very happy someone had ran

over his van, setting off the alarm.

"Mo might beat me at running but when we meet up

and play FIFA on the PlayStation I always beat him, and

he always changes his team. One minute he is Arsenal

and the next he's Real Madrid."

ALAn WATKinsonFormEr pE TEAChEr AnD BEsT mAn

ConrAD miLTon mo's FormEr CoACh (ThE TEEnAgE yEArs)

sCoTT oVErALLUshEr AT mo's WEDDing

With his mobot celebration, olympic gold medals and bubbly chat show persona mo Farah is now a bona fide celebrity.

But he's far more interesting than that. so cover your ears mo, spiKEs has dug up some dirt and we're ready to dish itTHINK YOU KNOW MO?

riCKy simmsAgEnT AnD FriEnD

"I don't even think he

won the first race"

" Mo ran right over the

top of a transit van"

spikesmag.com

! THE SMOKING GUN OF ATHLETICS

Athletics goes viralMove 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.

Jody and Bayo’s winners and losersCelebrity fans the Furlong twins give their verdict

UPTeam 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.

CelebrationsIt 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.

Queen ValValerie 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 armyAll 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 SaturdayWith other sports already

amassing gold medals galore

11SpikeSMAG.COM

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.

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. wTJFor 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 the scruff of the neck and drag it into the 21st century.

Oscar pistoriusNot only was his interview after his T44 Paralympic 200m final defeat ungracious it was also inaccurate. Alan Oliveira was wearing blades that were perfectly legal and Pistorius could have worn them.

DOWN Liu XiangWe 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. No showsThe world’s best sprinters spent the summer avoiding each other and the Olympic women’s 1500m and 3K steeplechase winners have competed only three times each this summer in their specialist event. The otherwise perfect Ms Felix has run her principal event in only four competitions this

Milk the applause, you’ve earned it. All you have to do now is run...

A JUMP BACK TO THE FUTUREIn 2009, when he was the world’s 11th best long jumper, SPIKES

asked Greg Rutherford some very personal questions. Now he’s the

Olympic champion we thought we’d ask him again. So, has he changed?

GREG RUTHERFORD 12

What did you have for breakfast today?OLD GREG: It was not good. I was on the move so only

a large coffee... but I did have a sandwich at 10am.

NEW GREG: Because I was so busy, I didn’t have a

chance. I was at a hotel and I had literally no chance

to eat. I didn’t eat until lunch, and that was a salad.

Who would play you in a film?OLD GREG: I’d have to pick a ginger actor really. I don’t

know. Jason Statham, I know he’s not ginger but I’m

going to go for him. NEW GREG: Probably Damian Lewis because he’s ginger,

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?OLD GREG: Probably to fly because it works quite well for

my event. If I could fly, I’d fly when I was jumping and

make it look like I was jumping.NEW GREG: To Fly. Makes life easier getting from place

to place. Obviously it would help slightly with my event.

I’d have to pretend I didn’t have that power and just jump

enough to win each time using my flying powers.

What is your theme tune?OLD GREG: What has helped me at the moment with my

run up is a trance tune, Mauro Picotto’s ‘Lizard’. It has

been a big favourite of mine for a long time.

NEW GREG: I listen to so many different genres of music

but it would probably be some sort of trancey

housey music. I always change and update what

I listen to. I’ll go for The Streets, ‘Blinded By

The Lights’. A wicked tune. That dude [Mike

Skinner] is a flippin’ genius.

How much money do you have in your pocket at the moment?OLD GREG: £2.37.NEW GREG: I just took a £5 note out and threw

it on the side to clear out my pockets.

Who is the most famous person on your mobile?

OLD GREG: I don’t want to tell him because

it will boost his ego... Christian Malcolm.

NEW GREG: It’s probably going to have to

be Rick Edwards [Channel 4 presenter]

at the moment. Let me have a look, I’m

just checking… Paloma Faith, that’s

probably one. Lewis Moody [retired

England rugby player]. Nick Moran

out of Lock Stock and Harry Potter and stuff. Got a few now. Did I say Christian Malcolm and Linford Christie last time?

[SPIKES: You just said Christian Malcolm in 2009].

How sad was I at that point? Flipping ding dong. I’ve got a

few on there now.

What is the least favourite part of your body?OLD GREG: My hair. It is ginger and has been the bane of

my life. Since day one the stick you get is unbelievable.

I’ve endured 22 years now of horribleness because I’ve

got ginger hair. It still goes on now. I was once called

copperknob. My mates thought it was the funniest thing

but, of course, they soon forget the copper bit.

NEW GREG: Probably my manky feet. I’ve embraced the

ginger hair completely. I love it now.

If you could star in another athletics event what would it be and why?OLD GREG: I would say the 400m. I’m quite close with

Tim Benjamin [world No.7 in 2005] and I know the levels

of pain he had to go through to do well in it. I remember

when I was younger I had an asthma attack after I ran it.

In the UK the 400m is a very popular event and people

have a lot of respect for it.NEW GREG: My 100m PB is 10.26, but it will be quicker

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.

You know what? I want to be a high jumper because

those guys have fun all the time. Like [Robbie] Grabarz

and Jesse [Williams]. They have a great time, and you

mention any form of hard training to them and they’re

like, ‘nah, I just jump really high’.

Which nation has the coolest kit?OLD GREG: I like the USA kit. The German kit at the

European Juniors in 2005 was beautiful, absolutely

beautiful.NEW GREG: I always want the USA kit because I actually

quite like it.

Could you describe your perfect day?OLD GREG: I spend the day on top of a mountain

somewhere with some skis attached to my feet. I was

a skier, although I’ve not done it for a few years now.

I miss skiing massively. I’d round it off with a nice crêpe

and an Americano.NEW GREG: My perfect day would be getting to have

a lie-in beyond about half six. So let’s go wild, let’s sleep

in till nine, and then cook a nice breakfast. I try and stay

away from carbs, although on my ideal day it would

probably be pancakes. Then I’d spend the day with some

friends and loved ones in a coffee shop drinking good

coffee. Not just any old coffee shop, a good coffee shop,

drinking very good coffee and coming up with schemes

and plans of what to do with life and where to take things.

What came first, the chicken or the egg?OLD GREG: The chicken. I have a slight belief in God and

when the chicken was created it would have been the

chicken first and it would sit there and hatch.

NEW GREG: The chicken. But who really knows?

If you could play another sport other than athletics, what would it to be?OLD GREG: Rugby. All the rugby players I’ve met are

really smart and good conversationalists. It’s a really

good, fun sport to be involved in and the team seem to

be closer than in football.NEW GREG: Probably ice hockey. Or skeleton bobsleigh.

If you could be an animal what would you be? OLD GREG: An elephant. It is my favourite animal. Just

a big powerful animal. It walks around and not much can

really affect it..NEW GREG: It would have to be some form of big cat

I think. I’d probably be a leopard because they’re quite

cool. They’re pretty fast and agile. Quite interesting as

well. And rare. With my hair colouring I am rare, so… And

they can pounce and jump, so they’re relevant to me.

Favourite karaoke tune?OLD GREG: I’ve normally shied away from it but my best

friend got that Lips [Xbox game] and against everyone

else me and him were undefeated. We sang ‘Stand By

Me’ by Ben E. King NEW GREG: I’ve never sung karaoke. If I said I had in

2009 I was obviously breaking under the pressure.

I’ve literally never in my life sung karaoke.

Who would be your five ideal dinner party guests? OLD GREG: Lee Evans for comedy value, Kanye West for

the music, my girlfriend, Liz, who would kill me if I didn’t

mention her, Alex Ferguson because I think he would be

well controversial and William the Conqueror. There’s a

random one. I’m quite into my history and the Battle of

Hastings is my favourite part of history. I’d be

interested to know more about him.

NEW GREG: Right. I’d pick some form of historical

monarch that did some big change for Britain. I’d

normally go William the Conqueror, Henry VIII and

Victoria; three major periods in Britain. But I’ll go with

one, William the Conqueror. I’ll then throw somebody quite funny into the mix;

Russell Brand, I want him to be my friend because he’s

very funny and George Best because I reckon he’d have

some wicked stories. I don’t wanna be too clichéd and too laddish… But the

Victoria Secret models, obviously I’m now going to have

to be laddish. They’re just incredibly beautiful. And then

I’d class them as one, and then I get, like, 10. The whole

set of them, I think it’s 10. I’ll go with Jesse Owens because it was quite an

interesting time in the world of athletics. You’ve got the

eye candy, you’ve got some cool stories, you’ve got a

funny bloke. You’ve got the lot.

This one is just for new Greg. What will future Greg be like in 2016?NEW GREG: Maybe I’ll be somebody people expect to win

a bit more. I want to be known as the guy who has a good

chance and is going to be one of the favourites.

A JUMP BACK TO THE FUTURE

“Christian Malcom? How sad was I

at that point? Flipping DING DONG”

spikesmag.com 13

Four of Britain’s gold medallists from London 2012 have another sport to thank for putting them on the right track for success

“Sprinting haS helped

with my footwork”

14 ATHLETICS ALUMNI

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.”

I OWE IT ALL TO...ATHLETICSI OWE IT ALL TO...ATHLETICS

Anthony JoshuaBoxing – olympic super heavyweight champion

“i waS a foot Shorter than eVeryone elSe and they were mUCh faSter”

15spikesmag.com

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 OWE IT ALL TO...ATHLETICSI OWE IT ALL TO...ATHLETICS

Laura Bechtolsheimerequestrian Dressage – olympic team champion

16 ATHLETICS ALUMNI

“from aS yoUng aS i rememBer i did CroSS CoUntry”

Naming Ethiopian distance legends 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 medal-winning Olympic triathlon performance.

Alistair Brownleetriathlon – olympic men’s champion

17spikesmag.com

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.”

Helen Gloverrowing – women’s olympic coxless pairs champion

“it gaVe me a raCing

mentality i Carried

to rowing”

Trevor PainTerCoach to Jenny Meadows, 2009 world 800m bronze medallist “I believe there is a role for both paced and non-

paced 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.”

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

the big question18

andrew osagieOlympic 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.”

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

DEBATE

theSHOULD

PACEMAKERS BE BANNED ?

19spikesmag.com

shannon rowburyUS 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.”

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.”

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.”

ian sTewarTUKA’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.”

ChrisTian miLZDirector 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.”

diane CumminsPart-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

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.”

PaTriCk magyarMeeting 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”

garry hiLL Editor, Track and Field News and Olympic Stadium announcer“I’m a dogmatic anti-pacemaker 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.”

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.”

20 DAVID RUDISHA

"Don’t follow me or you'll Die

spikesmag.com 21

"Don’t follow me or you'll Die The inside story of the

"greatest 800m race ever

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-upSuch 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 COACHO'Connell rarely leaves Iten town

Shortly 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 straightRudisha 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

DAVID RUDISHA22

23spikesmag.com

David Rudisha (KEN) 1.40.91 WR

Nijel Amos (BOT) 1:41.73 NR WJR

Timothy Kitum (KEN) 1:42.53 PB

Duane Solomon (USA) 1:42.82 PB

Nick Symmonds (USA) 1:42.95 PB

Mohammed Aman (ETH) 1:43.20 NR

Abubaker Kaki (SUD) 1:43.32 SB

Andrew Osagie (GBR) 1:43.77 PB

12345678

The gReaTeST Race

“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”

DAVID RUDISHA24

“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”

25spikesmag.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 championYou 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.

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.”

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 WRA 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 flat- out 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 oRRoared 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.

ThRee oF The BeST 800M FiNalS

26 GOOD VIBRATIONS

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 photo-finish, creating waves across the image (left). The picture below shows how it should have looked.

spikesmag.com 27

CROWD CHEERS CAUSE PHOTO-FINISH

TO SHAKE

28 POLE VAULT

event guide

the

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

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...

Gravitational potential enerGyWe 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.

3

Kinetic enerGy

This is the motion of the athlete. The

greater the speed of the athlete, the

greater the kinetic energy.1==

==>

====>

#1 POLE VAULT

====>

the science

spikes

U = kss2

21_

Ph

oto

gra

ph

y: A

dri

an

Myers

spikesmag.com 29

elastic potential enerGy

If we treat the pole like a spring, this is the energy

stored in the flexing of the pole.

2

the theory

hiGh enerGy

over the top

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.

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.

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.

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

in other WorDs...

====

>

====>

<======>

E = U + U + K = Constantg s

hgU = mgy

holly Bleasdale on why she’s glad she used to do gymnastics

And Steve Lewis on stiffness, grip and his six-stride pole

turn over for...

30 POLE VAULT

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

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.”

the athlete

Olympic finalistHolly Bleasdale tells

spikes it helps if you’re a gymnast

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

“ “

spikesmag.com 31

the equipment

1 “Poles are made from either fibreglass or carbon fibre. The energy tends to travel more in a straight line with the white fibre-

glass 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.”

2“There is no limit on how many poles a vaulter can take into a competition, but I normally take eight. I have one warm-

up 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.”

3“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.”

4“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.”

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“

“GB No.1 Steve Lewis

knows his poles, andhere he tells spikes

all about them!

32 SHOW HIM THE MONEY

THE

RICKY SIMMS IS THE MAN WHO OPENED HIS STABLE DOOR BEFORE USAIN BOLTED

spikesmag.com 33

RICKY SIMMS IS THE MAN WHO OPENED HIS STABLE DOOR BEFORE USAIN BOLTED

He may not live up to the stereotype of the flashy, cigar-

chomping 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

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.”

“ AS AN AGENT I HAVE NEGOTIATED SOME VERY GOOD ENDORSEMENT DEALS FOR ATHLETES, SOME OF THE HIGHEST EVER IN THE SPORT”

34 DARYA KLISHINA

spikesmag.com 35

With all eyes turning towards Moscow for the 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

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.

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

from there. And don't miss the Russian cuisine. I strongly

advise that you should taste it!

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.”

[

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

The Long gAMeKlishina jumped a

7.05m PB last year

36 DARYA KLISHINA

spikesmag.com 37

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?”

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!

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

SPIKES

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

KoReA hIghJumping to 7th place in Daegu, aged 20

38 HISTORY

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-a-

half 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 second-

placed Coe. Almost in tandem, Coe and

Ovett produced finishing kicks that tore

into Straub’s lead. At the 100m mark the

three men were shoulder-to-shoulder-to-

shoulder, 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.

It happened here

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

MOSCOW'S FINEST

The rebuilt 78,360

capacity stadium

is Russia's biggest

spikesmag.com

HE'S A VERY NAUGHTY BOY

Coe beat Ovett but was told off by his

dad for not running through the line

TANGLED UP IN BLUE

John Terry insisted he take

Chelsea's fifth penalty...

JACKO GOES TO RUSSIA

He wrote his 1996 hit 'Stranger

in Moscow' on this Russian tour

39

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