Brooke Stratton is an elite athlete from Melbourne, Australia who competes predominantly in the long jump. She finished 10th at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy, 6th at the 2010 World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada and 7th at the 2012 World Juniors in Barcelona. She holds the Australian junior record for the long jump with a leap of 6.60m set in Mannheim, Germany in July 2011.

In action at the Melbourne Track Classic at Albert Park

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in athletics?

Brooke: I first got involved in athletics when my brother Jamie started at under-6 level. I used to go along and watch as well as run in the centers under age race each week, which I absolutely loved. I went along to watch my brother compete until I was finally old enough to start.

James: Did you have a particular athletics idol growing up?

Brooke: As a young kid, I always looked up to Cathy Freeman. She really stood out to me as an incredible athlete after winning the Sydney Olympics. As I got a little bit older and identified some jumping talent, I really idolized Bronwyn Thompson.

James: When did you discover you had a talent for long jumping?

Brooke: I discovered I had a talent for long jump after winning the State Little Athletics championships at U9’s. From then on I kept improving and made my first Victorian primary school team for U10’s where I competed in Darwin, winning the multi-event and long jump.

James: The long jump incorporates a strong blend of speed and technique. Which of these do you believe to be your strength?

Brooke: I have always had a pretty good technique which I feel is a huge benefit. My speed is generally good. At the start of this season my speed had decreased a lot which really affected my jumping and I realised that I wasn’t going to jump far until I got that speed back. I started to up the speed work at training and really worked on my technique as well as running on top of the ground. It has only been the past month or so that my speed has rapidly increased and I believe it will hopefully show some improvements.

En route to finishing 10th at the 2009 World Youth Championships

James: In July 2011 at a meet in Mannheim, Germany, you set an Australian junior record of 6.60m. Can you put this experience into words?

Brooke: This competition in Mannheim, Germany has definitely been one of the most memorable experiences of my career thus far. I went over to Germany with 10 other under 20 Australian athletes to compete in the Mannheim Junior Gala. I was part of quite a strong field in this competition with the current world leader competing but that didn’t phase me because I knew I was in good shape. I felt really good warming up and when I got out onto the track to measure my run up and have a few run throughs I was feeling really positive about what was to come. My opening jump of 6.34m was only 3cms off my current PB at the time, so I knew I had a big jump in me. My next 4 jumps were all fouls. It really frustrated me as I knew they were all big jumps. I tried to keep myself composed before my last jump. I got on the runway and told myself to keep relaxed. I ran in feeling really comfortable, hit the board perfectly and everything came together nicely for the jump. I was not expecting 6.60m to be called out over the loud speaker, so I burst into tears. I got really emotional because it was the first competition my coach Russell (Dad) wasn’t at, and also because it was so unexpected.

James: You represented Australia at the 2009 World Youth Championships and both the 2010 and 2012 World Junior Championships. How would you describe the experience of representing your country at international level? Which of these events brought you the most satisfaction?

Brooke: All 3 of these competitions have been such valuable experiences for me. World Youths in 2009 was my first Australian team. I learnt so much about my event and myself, and I am extremely grateful for that. World Youths in 2009 definitely gave me a great understanding as to what was to come leading into the 2010 World Junior Championships. World Juniors in 2010 was a huge experience for me not only because I was bottom age, but in regards to the extreme weather which made my qualifying rounds tough. I managed to get through to the final, placing 6th, but competing in a competition in pelting rain on a flooded track was something I had never experienced before. World Juniors in 2012 were a different sort of experience for me. I knew what was to come and I knew what I needed to do, but an injury leading into the championships hindered my preparation and performance. Even though I did not achieve the result I wanted, I believe this experience was the best out of all three. I would never change or take back any of these experiences for anything and I consider myself so lucky to be given a gift which has allowed me to travel the world doing what I love.

James: You recently jumped 6.50m at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge and followed this up with your second consecutive National Championship silver medal. Are you satisfied with how 2013 has been progressing to date?

Brooke: This year has been really up and down. After a good pre season post World Juniors, and a PB of 6.60m set over in Germany in 2011, I feel as though I had a lot of pressure put on me to jump a PB this season. My 2012/13 season didn’t start off as well as I had hoped but each competition seemed to get better and better as I went on. I felt I lost a lot of confidence in myself with a rocky start to the season, but after I jumped 6.50m at the Melbourne World Challenge, I began to feel confident in myself leading into the National Championships. Obviously I would have liked to have jumped further at Nationals but I felt a bit flat on the day and there wasn’t much I could do about that. I have been training really well leading into the Taiwan National Championships so I feel I am in good enough shape to pull out a big jump if all goes well.

James: What are your goals for the remainder of 2013? Do you plan to compete overseas? Are the World Championships in Moscow in the back of your mind?

Brooke: I have been fortunate enough to be one of 6 Australian athletes selected in the Under-21 squad which will fly over to Taiwan to compete in the Taiwan National Championships in late May. This competition in Taiwan will be my last of the season and my last crack at achieving the World Championships qualifying standard. I also qualified several times for the World University Games in Kazan, Russia but my coach and I feel it will be more beneficial for me to have an extended winter training, which I haven’t really ever had. This will give me a good base leading into the 2013/14 season with the Commonwealth Games in my sights.

7th place finish at the 2012 World Junior Championships

James: Can you describe an average week of training, specifically in terms of key speed and technique based sessions? How does the mix between the two differ at various times of the year?

Brooke: An average week of training during the season consists of two gym sessions, two specific jumping sessions and two speed sessions. For my speed sessions I usually focus on running short distances, anywhere between 30m and 80m, because this keeps my running consistent and sharp. For technical sessions I am generally doing standing jumps, pop ups, short approach jumps, run up work and sandpit drills. In my off-season I will not be doing much jumping at all, incorporating more plyometrics and lengthening my running sessions.

James: With regards strength work in the gym how much emphasis do you put on this? What sort of specific exercises do you incorporate into your training?

Brooke: Over the past year I have only started to consider gym as a high priority. After heading back from World Juniors last year, I thought I would increase my gym to 3 times a week to get strong for the 2012/13 season. My strength and conditioning coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport, Nathan Heaney, has put together a program for me that really focuses on increasing my leg strength and power. I still don’t quite think my body has adapted to the strength work I have been doing, but I have definitely seen a vast improvement in my lifting of weights since I started.

James: How important is endurance for a long jumper? What sort of aerobic power speed endurance work do you incorporate into your training? Do you run many 200m and 400m races?

Brooke: I think speed endurance is very important for a long jumper, especially during our off season. Over winter I am usually doing sessions that incorporate 100m/200m reps because they really build up my anaerobic capacity. At the start of the season I ran a few 200m and 400m races which I did find very different to running 35 meters down a long jump runway. I feel these longer races allow me to focus on running consistent and relaxed.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite sessions?

Brooke: My favourite are jump sessions. My least favourite are hill sessions.

James: In addition to your accolades in the long jump you also have a strong background in the triple jump with a PB of 13.34m. What benefits does competing in the triple jump give to a long jumper? Do you see yourself competing in the triple jump over the coming years? How do the training requirements for it differ to that of the long jump?

Brooke: Long jump and triple jump are very similar in many aspects and usually when I’m long jumping well, I find I am triple jumping well also. I never really trained for triple jump seriously because I found it put a lot of stress on my body. I just used it as an event where I didn’t have any pressure on me and I could simply have fun with it. My PB of 13.34m was very unexpected because I hadn’t done much triple jump training at all leading into that completion. I would love to get back into triple jump within the next couple of years because its one of the events that I really enjoy and I feel I have so much more to give.

James: You are on a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport. How important is this with regards the development of your athletics career?

Brooke: The Victorian Institute of Sport have been such an enormous help towards developing and guiding me as an athlete. With such great facilities I find it a huge advantage to be doing my gym sessions with a very experienced strength and conditioning coach, Nathan Heaney. It is also very helpful having access to the doctors, physios, nutritionist, psychologists etc. when in need.

James: You compete regularly in the AV Shield, Victoria’s primary inter-club competition, which caters for every athlete regardless of age or standard. How important has this competition been with regards broadening the appeal of track and field and getting more of the average Joes involved in the sport? Going forward, how can this appeal be increased?

Brooke Stratton

James: You are known for your jumping prowess, but you have also regularly tried your hand in other events such as hurdles, javelin, shot and discus at inter-club level. What is the thought process behind competing in multiple events?

Brooke: This year at interclub I thought I would have some fun before the season got serious and compete in some events I wouldn’t usually take part in. At the end of the day, I am only 19 years old and I find doing multiple events makes athletics more enjoyable.

James: Some people believe that Usain Bolt could become a world class long jumper despite the fact he has no background in the event. Do you believe it is realistic for somebody to be able to take up such a technical event from scratch and compete at the highest level, regardless of how fast that person is over 100 metres?

Brooke: I believe having speed is a huge advantage for anyone looking to take up long jump. You don’t see many elite long jumpers jump a long way without having the speed behind them to carry them through the air. With me, I notice a huge difference in my performance when my speed is good and when my speed isn’t so good. With regards Usain Bolt and the outrageous speed he could develop down the runway, I believe he would jump a long way, even without a great technique.

James: When not competing, do you enjoy watching athletics? What current athlete do you like watching the most?

Brooke: I absolutely love watching athletics. I am so passionate about the sport that even if it’s just watching the sport I get a lot of enjoyment out of it. At the moment, I love watching Fabrice Lapierre in the long jump. He is such a talented athlete and the amount of spring he gets off the board is incredible.

James: That’s great Brooke. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck for the rest of 2013 and beyond.

Brooke: Thank you very much

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Steven Solomon is an elite athlete from Sydney, Australia, who specialises in the 400m. At the 2012 World Junior Championships he claimed the bronze medal in a personal best time of 45.52 seconds. Just four weeks later he ran a sensational 44.97 in the semi-finals of the London Olympics to reach the final, where he eventually finished in 8th place. He is currently on an athletics scholarship with Stanford University in the USA.

Steve Solomon in action at the London Olympics

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in athletics?

Steven: My path into the sport of track and field began through school sports. I always enjoyed competing at school athletic carnivals and was fortunate enough to represent my “zone” a few times in junior school at the NSW State championships. It was not however until high school that I really began my athletic career. Growing up, I was a keen sportsman and played just about every sport that lent itself the opportunity.

Moving to Cranbrook school (High School) was the first time that I had ever been introduced to a structured athletic program. Although the program only spaned six weeks a year, the program had coaches and routine training times. It was through this program that I met my first coach, James Roff. James coached me and other Cranbrook boys throughout our first couple of years at Cranbrook. I really enjoyed the sport and a big reason for this was James. He was just a great guy and made training very enjoyable.

As I continued to physically mature through high school, I got a lot stronger and was able to run a lot faster. After breaking numerous school and interschool records, I was granted the opportunity to race at the NSW All School Championships in grade 10. After claiming victory in the 400m and 400m hurdles at the event, I continued on to take the Australian All Schools 400m crown a few months later. National champion was an awesome feeling, and shortly after, I was invited by James’s coach, Fira Dvoskina to join her squad. The squad consisted of some of the best all round people I have ever met in my life, and instantly I fell in love with both the squad and the sport.

James: Growing up did you have a particular idol in the sport?

Steven: Because I only really took interest in track and field at a late age, I did not have any real idols in the sport. I am slowly catching up on the history of the sport, and regretting now not knowing of athletes such as Michael Johnson and Carl Lewis growing up. These are two of the greatest athletes that have ever walked the face of the planet, but they did not inspire me growing up simply because I never knew who they were! I never even watched the 400m final in the Beijing Olympics… and four years later, I was in that same race but in London!

Growing up, I played a lot of rugby and soccer. My main idol growing up was Matt Burke. I used to go to the local oval every afternoon for years and kick for goal in hope of one day representing Australia just like he did. As it turns out, I am fortunate enough to don the green and gold, just in a different sport than I imagined ten years ago.

James: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards athletics, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?

Steven: I think my mental stamina is my strongest attribute. I am a very focused athlete, and am sure of my goals and how to get there. I am lucky to have like-minded people in my life supporting my quest in Track and Field. I think my physical ‘speed’/’power’ are the two areas that I have the most room for improvement. I am hopeful that these areas will improve in the near future, and will help me continue to run faster then I ever have before.

James: Would you describe yourself as a speed based or endurance based 400m runner?

Steven: I come from an aerobic philosophy training background so I would have to lean towards endurance based. Additionally, statistics show that I finish stronger than a lot of my competitors, but run the first part of the race more conservatively than most.

James: At the 2012 World Junior Championships you claimed the 400m bronze medal. Can you describe that experience?

Bronze medal at the 2012 World Juniors

Steven: The 2012 World Juniors in Barcelona was an unbelievable championship. I love competing on junior teams, as they are always a lot of fun and I enjoy meeting new people and hearing of there introduction into the sport. I was really pleased with my performance at these championships, leaving with a new personal best and a bronze medal. I had high expectations for the championships, and although I did not have the ‘perfect’ series of races, the experience certainly will prove invaluable to my career development.

James: At the London Olympic Games you surprised the world by qualifying for the final of the 400m, running sub 45 seconds for the first time in the process. Can you put that experience into words? Did you expect to perform so well?

Steven: I cannot put my London achievements in academically accepted worlds. Its like… nope, I’m sorry. It was such a special intrinsic experience, filled with emotions of joy and proudness.

I knew that I was capable of running fast in London, and to make the final was my goal going into the championships. My coach and I had planned to peak at these championships and I was confident that our plan was running smoothly coming into the Olympic Games. I was very pleased with all three of my runs. To run the three fastest runs of your career to date at the Olympic games is a very satisfying feeling. I was also very happy with my ability to control my emotions and stick to my race plans and have absolute confidence in them. My ability to do this certainly contributed to my success as much as my physical exertions.

James: What other moments from your career to date are you particularly proud of?

Steven: I am proud of every race that I feel helped better me as both a runner and as a person. My introduction to senior track and field came in 2011 at the Melbourne Track Classic, an event that I won at the age of 17 and in a new personal best of 46.12. That was a very exciting race for me, only toped a few months later when I took my first senior National 400m crown in a time of 45.58.

James: You have recently started an athletics scholarship at Stanford University. Can you describe your experience there to date?

Steven: I am having the time of my life here at Stanford University. The university is unbelievable. Every facet is beyond anything that I have ever seen before or even heard of. The campus itself is the second largest in the world, and has everything from golf courses to hospitals to even a shopping mall. The university is situated right in the heart of Silicon Valley, home of many of the worlds most influential technology companies such as Google and Facebook. The aesthetics of the university are breathtaking, and combine both renaissance designs with modern architecture. The teaching faculty are not only world leaders in their field of expertise, but also become your friends. In one week last term, I had the privilege of listening to Mark Zuckerberg, Condoleezza Rice and Melinda Gates lecture. But above the exceptional facilities, eye-capturing environment and influential speakers, my favorite part of Stanford University is the student life. With acceptance rates as low as 5.6%, the quality of people at Stanford is to me what makes it such an incredible institution. The prestige of Stanford attracts not only those with gifted minds and talents, but attracts good human beings. The administration process, although at times painstakingly arduous, is there to bring in the best all rounded applicants. Everybody is sociable. Everybody has a strong work ethic and everybody has a desire to make their time at university a time that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

The party life is lively, and not too dissimilar from what we back home are familiar with through watching films such as American Pie and Animal House. The people are awesome and the weather is gorgeous. It is of little surprise that Stanford Alumni Herbert Hoover deemed the university as “the most beautiful place on earth”.

James: What made you choose going down the NCAA route?

Steven: At the ripe age of 19, I did not feel that I was ready to turn pro. This is more about my maturity as a person, and as an athlete, than it is about my current athletic capabilities. I feel I am still too inexperienced in life to deal with the nomadic travels of a professional track athlete, and all the added unknowns that come with it.

Traveling the world by oneself, negotiating the varying delicacies of each country and dealing with imperfect situation is not easy. I did not feel that I was ready for this challenge yet. The college system breeds these kinds of qualities into its athletes. You travel around America as a team each week. You learn from those above you how best to deal with adverse times and how to make the most of these often imperfect situations – delayed flights, dirty hotel rooms, lost baggage. I have had to deal with all these things before, but with practice I derive confidence. Not that I plan on having my bag sent to another state, or even country other then my destination, having a team behind me provides me with a lot of confidence and will teach me the best ways to deal with halting situations such as these. Also, I am a social person, and still am young enough to cherish the company of friends whilst I compete. I am not ready quite yet to do this on my own. That day will come in time.

8th place at debut Olympic Games

James: What would an average week of training be like at this time of the year, specifically in terms of key sessions?

Steven: 3 track sessions, one tempo session, two gym sessions, a pool session, two physiotherapy sessions and a massage.

James: While the 400m is mainly an anaerobic event there are some who look at the event from a more aerobic point of view. What sort of specific aerobic work do you do throughout the year?

Steven: Most of my aerobic work is partaken during the winter or ‘fall’ training. Here, I look to develop a strong aerobic base that I then can convert to speed later in the year. I love the feeling of being “fit” so I put a strong emphasis on aerobic work. Thankfully, both my coaches’ training philosophies incorporate a strong aerobic component.

James: With regards strength work in the gym how much emphasis do you put on this?

Steven: I never lifted a weight in my life before coming to Stanford. For me, I would say that core stability is the most important and most emphasised component of my strength training. Having a strong core keeps me in good positions on and off the track, and helps my running performance as well as injury prevention.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

Steven: I really enjoy aerobic work. The longer the session, the easier it feels to me. My most difficult sessions are speed work with short recoveries. Those sessions when you are starting reps at heart rates around 185 are very tough for me! Thankfully, I have an awesome training squad to help me get through these important sessions

James: Nutrition obviously plays an important part in the life of an elite athlete. What would be your typical dieting habits in the lead up to a big race?

Steven: I do not have a strict diet per se outside of competition, but I do put a conscious awareness on my diet leading into a competition. I make sure that my carbohydrate intake is high to give my body the fuel it needs to complete training sessions leading into races and of course the races themselves. 

James: Many Australian athletes have struggled with the track season in Europe and the major championships being at a different time to the Australian track season and can often peak three or four months too early. Has this been a concern for you in the past, and how did you manage this challenge?

Steven: I am still young so the challenge of ‘double peaking’ is not that foreign to me. I am now in the US system which runs almost parallel with the European season so I will let you know in a few months time whether I perform better only needing to peak once per a season opposed to two.

James: That’s great Steven. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck in 2013 and beyond.

Steven: Thank you. Speak again soon.

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Gavin Noble is an elite triathlete from County Fermanagh, Ireland. He represented Ireland at London 2012, placing 23rd, becoming the first Irish male to take part in an Olympic Games in triathlon. He also has represented Northern Ireland at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games, finishing 20th and 15th respectively. His best performance at a World Championship Series event was in 2009 at Yokohama, Japan where he ranked 11th.

Gavin Noble

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in triathlon?

Gavin: I began while at School as part of a relay team for “Ulster Schools’. Portora Enniskillen dominated those and subsequent schools championships.

James: At the 2012 London Olympics you finished in an impressive 23^rd place in your debut Games. Can you put that experience into words

Gavin: A wall of noise and Irish flags. It was an overall positive experience and I will have lasting memories of that day. I played the game as best I could in the weeks leading up to and on the day. Not only was I at the London Olympics but for evermore so too were my family, friends and supporters and them remembering the noise was important for me

James: What other moments from your career to date are you most proud of?

Gavin: I have had highs and lows. I am actually quite proud of my longevity. That longevity encompasses a lot of things and so it would not have been possible without reaching and striving for new heights.

James: What would you describe as the most disappointing moment in your triathlon career? What positives have you taken from it?

Gavin: I missed out on Beijing and took it badly but I learned from it and it gave me a mental strength while being on the road, racing and training. Sometimes, especially when you do most of your training, travel and racing alone, your mental strength is what separates you from others.

James: What would you describe as your strongest discipline? Which do you feel needs the most improvement?

Gavin: You have to look at Triathlon as a singular sport. From when the gun goes every action and effort effects the next. I actually think I have improvements to make in swimming even though people may think that it is one of my strengths – if you can swim faster without any extra muscle bulk then you can save matches and buy yourself time for the bike and run. A good run in a triathlon depends on how many matches you have to play with once you get there.

One down, two to go

James: What are your goals for 2013? Are you satisfied with how you have begun your year?

Gavin: I have not ‘begun’ in 2013. I had a knee operation in September and I am yet to resume run training. It has been a long 7 months. I basically have not run properly or been pain free in over a year but I couldn’t have the operation until after the Games, so it was a tough season with most of my running only ever done in the races. I have been lucky to work with many understanding physios who have also acted as psychologists! I also gained a youtube degree in kineiso taping!! So I am doing a lot of rehab and I moved to Dublin especially so I could be close to the Institute and benefit from the expertise there. So I will look to a late summer programme of racing and anything before that will be a bonus and a race that is part of my ‘preparing to race again’.

James: What would an average week of training be like, specifically in terms of key sessions?

Gavin: I have changed my thinking in the last few months. Before I worked in ‘weeks’, wanting to have a routine of numbers, hours and sessions – a 7 day cycle set out by the rules of life and time. But I find that this makes me a little obsessive and I neglect how I am ‘feeling’. I would feel guilty missing a sessions or not performing because I was tired or I had accumulated too much fatigue. It would be different if I had a squad or all my sessions were coached. Then there is routine and by having others around you it means you can use the energy of the group. But when you are more often alone, those 3 hour bike rides for example on a dreary morning are tougher on the body. So at the moment I am working a lot in ‘blocks’ and having some fluidity to change. Sometimes I might even switch days around based on the weather forecast. I have a rule that I must have a rest day after every 10 days of training and that is when i’ll plan the next block. Within those 10 days I have an emphasis and blocks of 3 or 4 days with easier active recovery sessions linking them. I believe it takes at least 6 weeks to change anything physiologically and because I have three sports to consider I cannot ‘do everything’ – for me, that leads to injury and too much fatigue. I try to combine sessions (swim/gym, swim/bike, bike/run etc) and often work a similar energy system during the day. As I get closer to racing those become specific sessions for the demands of triathlon. A swimmer, cyclist or runner may have 2-3 key sessions during a week – I have those 2-3 key sessions also but spread over the 10 days.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

Gavin: I love track running with others, build runs or hard group rides. But I also love easy social recovery days! Something like a short hard bike followed by 3 x mile maybe or an easy 90 minute spin to a café. My least favourite sessions are those when its grey and raining but they need to be done and if those days beat you well then . . . .  Also with the load of biking and running some days you jump in the pool and feel like a brick! Those are unpleasant, especially if you are in a swim squad and getting it handed to you by a 14 year old. Luckily the squad I sometimes swim with in Dublin recognise I am a triathlete and those days outnumber the days when I am swimming rather than struggling. My only complaint and it is a regular one that I voice, is why do swimmers insist on starting at 5am?

James: Nutrition obviously plays an important part in the life of a professional athlete. What would be your typical dieting habits in the lead up to a big race?

Gavin: I recognise the fact that I eat too much crunchy peanut butter and drink too much coffee. That being said I always eat according to what I have just done or what I am about to do – those are the rules. I am fairly balanced – everyone knows what’s good for you and what’s not, everything in moderation. I would always eat a large breakfast and that would be my main meal of the day. This morning, in the mix, was oats with coconut oil, milk, an egg white, frozen berries, peanut butter, raisins, maca root powder and cinnamon, with a coffee – that kept me going for a few sessions! My only real pre-race routine would be staying away from meat the day or two days before. I supplement with a few things and on race day I will have finished eating 3 hours before the start – normally porridge, some honey, maybe an egg for a protein portion, with fluids being important (over the course of the race week). I am an ambassador for Lucozade Sport and so I am looking forward to their new range of products for 2013. I would not use ‘product’ in every session, more so when the tough gets going or the load is very high. Sometimes in the lead up to a race with less training time there is a tendency to over eat (through boredom!) and I can be guilty of that but sometimes your body needs that bag of jelly sweets right!?

James: Is Kona something which you would like to do in the future?

Gavin:  I am not sure about that. I finish a 5 hour ride sometimes and think ‘waoo, a marathon, really?’

James: Triathlon is a notoriously expensive sport to compete in at the highest level. How do you fund yourself?

Gavin: I am funded by the Sports Councils for my training and racing programmes and I have some great sponsors which include Specialized, Vodafone, Lucozade Sport and Champion System. I also have a great relationship with Base2race in Ballymount and the Institute of Sport so I have all my sporting needs covered. I also have a ‘French Team’ and of course you make your money from racing. I also do some coaching days etc and recently have started writing for iamspecialized.com. You have to market yourself in sport – find ways of giving value to sponsors – only one man can win the race so what does the other 59 guys do to eat if it is not your day!?  You can definitely make a living from our sport but it is a short term project on the grand scale of things so you have to maximize it.

Noble crossing the finish line in 23rd place at London 2012

James: What can be done to break down the high expense barriers to participation to get more people involved in triathlon?

Gavin: Triathlon does not have to be expensive. It is like any other sport, you can always participate accordingly. Of course plenty of people have lots of nice kit but a simple bike, helmet and 60% of the time a wetsuit is all you really need that you may not already have. I was in Base2race recently and the guys were trying to put off a customer buying the most expensive product because they felt it was not the best one for them! Entry fees and membership costs are lower than most sports and the fact in recent years triathlon has seen an explosion in the number of events and participants points to the fact the people are not ‘put off’ by any of the ‘barriers’ that one may envisage.

James: How would you describe the state of triathlon in Ireland right now? What can be done to make the sport grow further?

Gavin:  We are in a very healthy state at the moment. The Sports Council has awarded the sport an increase in funding and the number of clubs, races and members grows year on year. We have a new CEO, new national sponsors, a thriving junior set up and even though I read recently that we had lost our Performance Director to another sport, a new energy can help progress the Performance side of Triathlon also in the next Olympic cycle.

Creating an environment where athletes or race organisers can thrive is the goal of every sport and I think at the moment Triathlon Ireland are very much motivated to create and sustain that.

I would love to see more youths and juniors in the clubs around Ireland but I also recognise the challenges for a club to incorporate and provide for junior members. When I was starting out there were Ulster and Irish Schools races and it would be great to see those re-emerge.

James: What are your thoughts on the current format of the World Championship Series?

Gavin: I enjoy it of course. It means the best athletes race regularly together. The series is like the formula one of triathlon. There are other race formats but none come close to the depth of talent or professionalism of the World Championship Series in my opinion. An athlete should be judged on were he or she stands in the World. Not on one continent, not in a different format to the recognised Olympic event. There are lots of races of course and lots of great performances but all those races are just preludes to the main dances. That is what the series tries to do and is all about. I guess it would still be good to have a ‘one off’ championship race, one day, one course, one effort, but economically and to grow a sport and maintain/market athletes a series is often best.

James: Some people believe that drafting should be made illegal in Olympic distance triathlon, due to the fact that it causes gains in the swim to be negated very quickly, and that it makes gains on the bike very difficult to achieve. What are your views on drafting in triathlon?

Gavin: Often when I feel I am about to be very opinionated I’ll lead with ‘with all due respect’ or ‘forgive me but’ and I don’t want to come across as arrogant so forgive me when I quote Steve Prefontaine, “A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding”

Drafting can of course aid weaker cyclists but then drafting also aids weaker cyclists in the Tour de France! We could have a time trial but I will guarantee you that internationally the same athletes will be at the top. If you have ever done a drafting race you will know that gains in the swim can be maximized because of drafting packs. Your day may be over if you do not swim well and that is an argument against drafting, often made by weaker swimmers! You don’t have people complaining about Mark Cavendish sitting in all day and sprinting for the line in bike racing. You play a sport according to the rules that are set out and you adapt your training to meet the demands of competition if you want to be successful in it. If it is a non drafting format then you train differently with more of an emphasis on time trialing on the bike. If that is the format you enjoy then that is the format you should pursue. Triathlon, I do not believe, is a swim race or bike race or run race. As I said before every action or effort in a race has a knock on effect. People complaining about the format of something or the rules, for me, it’s just a sign of their own insecurities or weaknesses. As my sister would say “end of’.

James: What one piece of advice would you give to somebody, regardless of age or ability, looking to attempt a first triathlon?

Gavin: The first step is always to enter a race. That is the primary commitment that needs to be achieved for any first timer. From there you have a time scale that you can work with. There is a lot of information out there, a lot of resources for advice but I think entering the race is key.

James: That’s great Gavin. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck for the rest of 2013.

Gavin: Don’t tell Base2race I told you that they often don’t want to sell you the most expensive one.

Keep up to date with Gavin’s training and racing through his official website.

Victoria Mitchell is an elite middle distance runner from Melbourne, Australia, who specialises in the 3000m Steeplechase. She claimed the silver medal at the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey and the following year finished in 4th place at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in front of her home crowd. Later that year she finished 4th at the IAAF World Cup in Athens. She has also represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games, the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Osaka, along with multiple World Cross Country Championships.

Victoria Mitchell at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in athletics?

Victoria: I did Little Athletics in Mansfield. I was always an active kid and then when I started at Mansfield Secondary College they had inter school athletic meets so it grew from there.

James: Did you have a particular athletics idol growing up?

Victoria: Not really! I remember reading a quote ‘don’t have a hero, look up to no-one because if someone is leading the way you will always be second best’ and so I just thought I’d focus on being the best I could be regardless of others. Plus everyone has an awesome quality, we all excel at something.

James: How did you get involved in the Steeplechase?

Victoria: I saw the 2000m steeplechase on the program and thought I would have a go. I lined up not ever having jumped a barrier or water jump (but had jumped hurdles) and I enjoyed it and won. It kind of came naturally and I enjoyed it so I continued with it.

Competing at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka

James: In 2006 you finished 4th at the Commonwealth Games in front of your home crowd in Melbourne. Can you describe that experience?

Victoria: I was actually really disappointed at the time as I had put big expectations on myself. However I do recall walking down the ramp at the opening ceremony and feeling the buzz of the atmosphere. That was pretty special.

James: Two years later you represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Can you put that experience into words?

Victoria: Words don’t really describe the experience but it was one of the best of my life so far.

James: What other moments from your career to date are you particularly proud of?

Victoria: Most of the moments I am most proud of are perhaps the least significant ones from an outsiders view. They don’t include the big races or my best results but rather it is those moments where I haven’t given up and have overcome barriers; mental, emotional, physical…in training, in life.

James: What would you describe as the most disappointing moment in your athletics career? What positives have you taken from it?

Victoria: There have been so many due to injuries and I find these type of setbacks the hardest part to deal with. However, with each one comes a good lesson and has given me greater strength so that is the positive side of it.

James: What are your goals for 2013?

Victoria: To be racing again at an international level.

James: Can you give an insight into the training regime for a steeplechase runner? In what particular ways does it differ from training for an event on the flat? What sort of technique based work do you do?

Victoria: My training has never really been different to a flat runner. I tried to add some steeplechase specific stuff to my program and I got injured. It was the way I went about it so I could possibly try a new method but I will be happy just to get back to my previous form of 2006 and that was off zero steeple work. I am a natural jumper which helps.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

Victoria: My favourite is short hills. I really love the feeling of powering up them. I also really enjoy interval work where you can feel fast! My least favourite is threshold/tempo/time trial. More the one pace stuff.

James: Nutrition obviously plays an important part in the life of an elite athlete. What would be your typical dieting habits in the lead up to a big race?

Victoria: Same all year around, make healthy choices as often as possible. I don’t hold any superstitions.

James: Many Australian athletes have struggled with the track season in Europe and the major championships being at a different time to the Australian track season and can often peak three or four months too early. Is this, or has this been a concern for you, and how do you manage this challenge?

Racing on home soil at Melbourne's Lakeside Stadium

Victoria: This hasn’t been a problem for me as I have been out of action too often. However I would place emphasis on the meets abroad as there are better competitions there and incentives. Especially for the steeplechase event which has few competitors in Australia.

James: You are very familiar with the AV Shield, Victoria’s primary inter-club competition, which caters for every athlete regardless of age or standard. How important has this competition been with regards broadening the appeal of track and field and getting more of the average Joe’s involved in the sport? Going forward, how can this appeal be increased?

Victoria: It is a great competition to get people involved at all levels of the sport. More awareness and opportunity is a good way to reach people so events such as these should continue to promote our sport.

James: Do you feel athletics in Australia gets its fair share of funding or can more be done to help the sport develop? How do you support yourself financially?

Victoria: I have no idea about budgets of organisations but I know that there isn’t much funding for those that aren’t at the very top of the sport. I work and it seems that very few people can afford to be a full time athlete. It’s not a sport to do if you are after the big bucks.

James: That’s great Victoria. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck in 2013 and beyond.

Victoria: Thank you

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John Travers is an elite middle distance runner from Dublin, Ireland. He has represented Ireland at the 2010 World Junior Championships, the 2010 World Cross Country Championships and the 2013 European Indoor Championships among others.

John Travers in action at the 2013 European Indoors in Gothenburg

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. Easy question first, how did you first get involved in athletics?

John: I first got involved in athletics when I was in 5^th year in Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School and one of the teachers at the time Ms Harte asked a group of us were we interested in doing the Gaisce Award (Presidents Award). Within this you had to take up a sport for 6 months, so I wrote a few sports on a piece of paper and dropped the pen to decide. Lucky enough it landed on athletics so the next day I went down to Donore Harriers and that is where it all started.

James: Did you have a particular athletics idol growing up?

John: I am not going to lie I was never fond of athletics. I was always busy doing other sports like soccer, Gaelic football, hurling, golf and swimming. I pretty much tried every sport I came across. So it would be a lie to say I had an athletic idol at the time. I never knew any athletes. I even had a chat with Eamonn Coghlan on a cold wet day in Marley park and had to turn to the chairman of my club and ask who he was!

James: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards athletics, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?

John: My strongest attribute would definitely have to be the way I can go up through the gears during a race, I always have a kick left and I can always just pick up the pace when I am in control. Definitely the one I could improve on is my mental side. I find if a lot of people go past me while I feel I am going good it makes me feel the total opposite and I go into a backwards spiral. I’m working to get stronger in those areas.

Representing Ireland at the World Cross Country Championships

James: You represented Ireland at the 2013 European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg. Can you describe that experience? What have you learned from competing in such a high level international event?

John: The experience was the best but obviously the worst at the same time. The fact I finished up last knowing the shape I was in was a big blow to me. It brought me back to earth, I was used to having the races my way at home in Ireland. I was always in control and knew everything about everyone and when people would make breaks etc. I realised I won’t always have it my own way. Sit and kick is what I am good at so sit and kick is what I will do in the future in that scenario. There were too many lads more experienced than me and probably delighted that an immature Irish man like me was taking up the pace and giving them what they wanted. I will know for the next time and use my strengths and my head in order to get the best out of myself.

James: How would you assess your indoor season as a whole?

John: My indoor season as a whole I would have to say was very satisfying. We went into the season using it as a break up of training. It was all done off strength work and there was no speed involved. The one bit of track work before the season was a 1200m time trial that I did in Monte Gordo where I ran 2.52.6 and was feeling as strong as an ox. Previously I struggled to have good consistency within my running. This indoor season I showed that I have it now and that is thanks to all of the hills and tempos I’ve been doing. I ran 7 indoor races this session in 7 weeks and only one of those races was below average so I really can’t complain and it shows great signs for this coming outdoor season.

James: How would you describe the experience of competing on the brand new indoor track facility in Athlone?

John: The experience was unbelievable and the facilities are just incredible. It is about time we had something like this in Ireland. I think the benefits of having such facilities right on Irish doorsteps  has already been clear with the number of  new indoor records this year, especially in the women’s 800m. The amount of women running crazy times in that event is great to see. The new track has such a different feel to the Odyssey where the National Indoors used to be held. The spring off the track is brilliant.You feel like you’re gliding.

James: What particular moments from your career to date are you most proud of?

John: My proudest moment to date would definitely have to be running that 7.58 in the Irish Senior National Championships. The fact I had never broke 8 minutes and only a few weeks before I struggled to run 8.02 in a paced race. Yet at Nationals I went out on my own from the start, had to pass out numerous people and still broke 8 minutes. I would also have to say I am very proud of winning the Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships at junior level as my club hosted it that year so I got to do it on our home soil as such.

James: What are your goals for the rest of 2013?

John: My goals are to run in the European U23 Championships in Tampere in Finland in either the 1500m/5k. At the moment probably the 5k. My own goal is to be top 5 or better. My other aim is to break the sub 4 minute mile which I will aim to do in the Morton mile in Santry just a week after the championships.

John Travers

James: What would an average week of training be like at this time of the year, specifically in terms of key sessions?

John: Key sessions would be on a Tuesday with a tempo run in the evening, this would be anywhere from 4-8 mile tempo at in or around 5 minute mile pace. Then on a Saturday I would have a hill session up Tree Rock Hill in the Dublin Mountains, this would consist of either 75 seconds on 1 minute off / 2 minutes on 1 minute off/ 3 minutes on 1 minute off. On the minute off you would have to start jogging back down the hill you just came up. You repeat this until you reach the top which can be anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on the effort you have to do.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

John: I absolutely love tempo runs I am not going to lie. You just get into a controlled rhythm that you can keep at and you feel like you are flying and not dying. I wouldn’t say I dislike any training but the hills kill you. You can’t feel your legs for a minute or two after you finish and yet you haven’t killed yourself.

James: With regards speed work what do you consider the most important sessions?

John: I do not do any speed work with my new coach Jerry. We do not need to do it. All I need is strength training as I have proved. I do not need to work on my speed as I have it already.

James: How important is core strength work for a 1500m/5000m runner and how much emphasis do you put on it? What specific core strength exercises do you incorporate into your training?

John: It is very important, I never used to think that but recently have seen it has made a big difference to my training. I do not do too much at the minute though, only about 40 minutes per week, which would be 20 minutes on Monday and 20 on Wednesday. I do all of the basics from the plank, side plank, bridging, sit ups, push ups, hip exercises, balance exercises. We do a good range.

James: Which particular event do you feel you are most suited to?

John: To be honest I really do not know. I am lucky that I have a good range, but if I had to choose I would say 5k. I think this will be my best event in the future, but I will not be ignoring the shorter distances as to improve the 5k I need to have fast 8’s and 15’s and 3k’s in the legs.

James: It seems that the challenge of competing on the world stage without funding is not always understood and appreciated by the general public. Do you feel that athletes in Ireland sometimes don’t get the credit they deserve off the Irish media when compared to comparable achievements by individuals and teams in the more popular and better funded sports such as rugby and football?

John:  No matter what sportsperson you ask from any sport they will all have a different opinion on this, no one ever thinks they get what they deserve. To be honest we are lucky to get anything and I think that’s where a lot of people are unfair in their judgments. I do think Gaelic Games gets too much money funded but they are a majority sport so they have to get the money. Until athletics can raise their involvement and we can start getting more medals we will never get the support it really deserves. People outside athletics laugh saying “you run in circles” or “oh I could beat you in a race” but they do not understand the amount of work we have to put in to get where we are at. Athletics definitely does not get the credit it deserves.

James: In Ireland, could more be done to get the regular Joe Soap, regardless of age or ability, onto the track rather than having a disproportionate number of participants in our sport competing in road races, fun runs and marathons? Should track running be made more accessible to the everyday runner, and if so, how can this be done?

John: We could definitely get the regular Joe soap onto the track. Just look at the road race and marathons a few years ago compared to the participation now. If it can be raised in that why can’t it be raised on the track. I think the main problem is people associate the track with speed. They think you have to be fast, but there are graded leagues that have poor attendances that could involve these people and get them interested. It’s not about making it more accessible because it is there. It is just about trying to encourage people to use it. They should be trying to put on charity track races and things like that, or sports days for adults, this could get a lot of interest as people associate sports days with fun.

James: You are the president of the IAAF for one day. What drastic changes do you make?

John: To change the Anti-doping setup would be my main priority. They need to knuckle down like they have in the cycling. There are too many out there getting away with doping, for example recently a number of Russians were banned for doping offences. I think if you are caught you should be banned from competition for life and that’s that! It is the only way to maybe stop people from taking drugs. Another thing, and I might come under controversy for this, would be sorting out the right ages for so called “juniors” from the likes of Kenya and Ethiopia. It is so unfair. You can clearly tell there are 30 year olds competing at U20 level in World Juniors and Youths etc.

James: When not competing, do you enjoy watching athletics? What current athlete do you like watching the most?

John: I do watch now when I am not racing, but I much rather watching races in Ireland especially at junior and juvenile level as you can see the future of athletics within the country. It is always great seeing young people running well and breaking juvenile records etc.

James: That’s great John. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck with the coming summer track season.

John: No problem, any time. Thank you

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Siofra Cleirigh Buttner is a middle distance athlete from Dublin, Ireland. She won a silver medal over 1500m at the 2011 European Youth Olympic Festival. At the 2012 World Junior Championships she reached the semi-finals of the 800m. She currently holds the Irish junior indoor record for the event with a clocking of 2:05.26, set in January 2013 at the new indoor track facility in Athlone.

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in athletics?

Siofra: My older brother was a very active young child and my mother tried every type of club to send him to but none would take him until he was 7. Then my mother tried the local Athletics Club and they were more than happy to take him! I just followed in his footsteps after that.

James: Do you have a particular idol in the sport?

Siofra: I always find it very difficult to pick out one person, as there are so many inspirational figures amongst the sport. If I had to name a few, Seb Coe, Kelly Holmes, Mo Farah, Fionnuala Britton, Paula Radcliffe and Usain Bolt would just be a few of many!

James: What do you believe to be your strongest attribute with regards athletics, and what area do you feel you could improve on the most?

Siofra representing Ireland at the 2012 World Junior Championships

Siofra: There is always room for improvement in every area but recently we have started focusing on biomechanics and my form. I’m constantly improving that aspect of my running style in training and races. My core strength is pretty weak so I have started to correct that as well. My strongest attribute I don’t really know, but with my endurance background I can be so strong. In saying that, I can switch on the speed whenever I need to. Not every athlete has speed like that so I really hope to keep that in order and improving too.

James: Would you describe yourself as a speed based or endurance based 800m runner?

Siofra: I would be mostly an endurance based 800m runner. Saying that, I always surprise myself with the speed I have. I can run a decent 400m so I’m really a speed-endurance 800m runner!

James: At last year’s IAAF World Junior Championship in Barcelona you qualified for the semi-finals of the 800m. Can you describe that experience?

Siofra: It is really hard to describe an experience like Barcelona. The competition was of the best standard possible, the stadium was amazing, everything was just perfect in terms of a major championships. I was happy with my performance especially considering I ran 2.05 and 2.06 back to back over two days in that heat. I am positive that the experience will stand to me in future championship races as it is so much different than racing at home. It felt even better to be able to share the experience with my coach and my family, along with my friends.

James: What other particular moments from your career to date stick in the memory?

Siofra: Just last weekend I won my 5^th All Ireland Schools cross country which really means a lot to me. A big experience that sticks with me is the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2011 where I received the silver medal in the 1500m. It was an amazing experience with all my friends even though I was slightly disappointed. Another memorable moment was when I ran 2.04.82 last summer in Irishtown. I couldn’t believe I’d run that time at the time, and I’m very grateful to Sinéad Denny who paced me on the day.

James: You have competed on the Irish indoor circuit this winter. How would you assess your indoor season?

Siofra: I was very pleased with how everything went. I was very excited to be doing a track season for the first time in a few years, with my new coach Donal Hennigan. We wanted to get the European juniors standard out of the way early to take off any pressure coming up to the outdoor season. I knew I was in shape to get the standard but I did not think I had a 2.05 in my legs, so I was thrilled! Considering it was a National Indoor Record, it was even better news!

James: How would you describe the experience of competing on the brand new indoor track facility in Athlone?

Siofra: The new facility is incredible. I’d like to thank everyone who managed to make it possible! It’s a fast and bouncey track, and it really is state of the art. A lot of great times will be run on the track in the future.

James: What are your goals for the rest of 2013?

Siofra: I am looking forward to competing at the European Juniors in Rieti, Italy in July. I hope to make the final and run as well as I can with good competition. I will be racing in some BMC meets and I look forward to trying to break 4.20 for the 1500m. I’m aiming for sub 2.04 over 800m this summer also.

James: What would an average week of training be like at this time of the year, specifically in terms of key sessions?

Siofra: It really can change, depending on what is coming up. During my indoor season it would have changed every week regarding the track sessions but an example is as follows:

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5/6 at a steady state’

Wednesday: Warm up (2miles + drills), 3X500m and 4X200m, cooldown (1mile)

Thursday: Long recovery run of 7 miles

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Progressive tempo of 5 miles, 2, 2, 1

Sunday: Warm up, 4X200m in 30 secs with 2 mins recovery, 4 mins break then the same again, cooldown.

At the moment I am doing more miles and tempos as well as the odd fartlek session before I head warm weather training at Easter to prepare for the summer.

James: With regards speed work, what do you consider to be the key sessions for an 800m runner?

Siofra: To be honest, it really depends on the athlete. For me, I know my coach Donal Hennigan  and I both love the 2 sets of 4X200m. It’s great for speed and endurance and it really benefits working on my form.

James: What are your favourite and least favourite training sessions?

Siofra in action at the European Cross-Country Championships

Siofra: I surprisingly enjoy sets of 200m on the track as I feel so strong and powerful. I definitely do not enjoy any 1000m intervals when I’m training for the cross country season. They really take it out of me!

James: What should be done to get more young Irish people into athletics rather than the traditional sports of football, rugby and GAA? How can the profile of the sport in Ireland be improved?

Siofra: There is not much that we can do about that situation in my opinion. The GAA sports are taking all the potentially great athletes. All we can do is to continue what we have been doing lately which is performing well at major championships such as European Cross and the European Indoors recently. I do think it is frustrating how little recognition our sport gets when we do so well.

James: What is your favourite destination that you have traveled to for athletics and why?

Siofra: I don’t really consider the destination very important as such. Usually I’m just delighted to be at the competition with my friends and to be competing against the best. I did find Barcelona a lovely city to compete in, especially on the Olympic track. The Olympic Village at EYOF in Turkey was special too!

James: That’s great Siofra. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck this coming year.

Siofra: Thanks!

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Q – Qatar

For over a decade now the Middle-Eastern nation of Qatar has had a very negative impact on athletics with their policy of buying in world class Kenyan athletes to run for the arid nation. However London 2012 provided a moment of genuine real success for the country. Mutaz Essa Barshim claimed bronze in the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.29m, sharing the third spot on the podium with Great Britain’s Robbie Grabarz and Canadian Derek Drouin. This was just the second ever athletics medal won by Qatar in Olympic history, coming 20 years after Mohammed Sulaiman took bronze in the 1500m in Barcelona. The event was won by the eccentric Russian athlete Ivan Ukhov who jumped 2.38m to convincingly take the gold medal ahead of Erik Kynard Jr of the USA by a margin of 5cm.

R – Rudisha

World record for David Rudisha

Usain Bolt may have received the vast majority of media’s plaudits throughout London 2012, but arguably the performance of the Games came from David Rudisha. The Kenyan 800m runner has been virtually unbeatable over the last two years, breaking the long standing 2-lap record held by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer, not once, but twice in 2010 and claiming World Championship gold in Daegu the following year. The 23 year old entered London as possibly the most overwhelming favourite in all of track and field, and he did not disappoint, leading from the gun to claim gold in a staggering world record time of 1:40.91, becoming the first man in history to dip below 1:41. What made this performance all the more remarkable is that it was achieved without the aid of a pacemaker. In this day and age, in events from 800m and up, a world record being set during a major championship is completely unheard of. It does not bear thinking what this man may run over the coming year in a properly paced Diamond League race, with many believing that he is destined to break the 1:40 barrier. It is also worth noting that all 8 men in the Olympic final ran sub 1:44, with the eight placed runner, Great Britain’s Andrew Osagie, clocking a time which would have won gold at the previous three Olympics. However, the record breaking performances of the other seven men will be merely a footnote to David Rudisha in Olympic history.

S – Selection woes

There can be no getting away from the fact that the performance of the Irish athletics team as a whole at London 2012 was disappointing. What makes this all the more frustrating is the fact that three seriously talented young athletes on B-Standards (Mark English, Brian Gregan and Jessie Barr), who were in form, and have recent championship pedigree, were not selected to compete in London. The OCI’s lack of foresight, logic and ability to see anything other than black and white meant that only athletes with A-Standards were selected to compete, resulting in English and Gregan being left at home, while Barr was ludicrously left up in the stands of the Olympic Stadium, as she was in London for the 4x400m relay anyway, thus robbing these great prospects of valuable Olympic experience ahead of the next Games in Rio de Janeiro. It is very possible that all three of the mentioned athletes above would have made the semi-finals of their respective events in London, and had common sense prevailed, we’d be looking at Irish athletics right now from a completely different viewpoint, full of positivity for what lies ahead over the coming years.

While the athletes themselves must take responsibility for their own performances, much of the blame has to lie with those responsible for selecting what had been hailed as the best prepared Irish team in history, those who overlooked the likes of English, Gregan and Barr, while selecting athletes who had achieved A-Standards back in 2011 but hadn’t performed close to the required level in 2012. Furthermore the black and white nature of the A-Standard requirement resulted in athletes traipsing around Europe right up to selection deadline day in a desperate hope of securing a qualification time. With a system like this in place, even if an athlete did manage to secure a ticket to the Games, it is highly unlikely that he/she would be able to peak again in London just a month later. Hopefully the OCI and AAI will learn the harsh lessons from London 2012 and will bring in an effective selection process for Rio 2016, which ensures the best athletes are chosen to represent Ireland. There’s an unprecedented level of talent coming through in Irish athletics. Let’s hope this talent is nurtured by the AAI, and that the same issues will not be discussed again four years from now.

T – Television presenters

In Ireland athletics is firmly a minority sport, and with such status comes less television and general media coverage than some of the more popular field sports such as GAA, soccer and rugby. A side effect of this is that in the rare event the sport is covered by RTE the presenters are generally lacking in knowledge and poorly prepared. The London Olympics provided some cringeworthy clangers, in particular veteran anchor Bill O’Herlihy questioning why the Kenyan women had only won one steeplechase Olympic gold, while the men had claimed nine, clearly oblivious to the fact the event was only introduced to the programme in recent years. While such moments are no doubt funny, it is not often the sport gets such prime time coverage in Ireland, and it would be nice to see the sport respected, with the presenters doing proper research. Irish athletics deserves better.

U – Uganda

Stephen Kiprotich takes gold for Uganda

In recent years the world of men’s marathon running has been completely dominated by Kenya, with Ethiopia playing a supporting role. Given this fact, the event produced perhaps one of the biggest upsets of London 2012, with Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich claiming his country’s first Olympic gold medal since the late John Akii-Bua won the 400m Hurdles at the 1972 Munich Games. With a personal best of 2:07:20, the 23 year old defeated competitors who had lifetime bests in excess of three minutes faster. Perhaps the Kenyans need to practice actually racing the iconic 26.2 mile distance. In recent years the event has become one time trial after another, with athletes following strictly instructed pacemakers in an effort to set world record after world record. Maybe it is just me, but the event has lost its romance, and perhaps Kiprotich’s victory is just the thing the marathon needs.

V – Valerie

Another athlete who achieved considerable success in 2012 was Valerie Adams. The Kiwi athlete has been the dominant force in the shot putt in recent years claiming Olympic gold in Beijing and three consecutive victories at the World Championships. However victory in 2012 wasn’t achieved in the conventional method. Having started the year brilliantly with gold at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, the New Zealander entered London as favourite to defend her Olympic title. However she was beaten into second place by a very masculine looking female from Belarus by the name of Nadzeya Ostapchuk, an athlete who was referred to by RTE’s Victor Costello as a Shane Byrne look-a-like (former Irish front row rugby player). Alas, the joy did not last long for the Belarusian as she subsequently tested positive for the banned substance metenolone. She was swiftly stripped of the title with the gold medal being awarded to Adams. Certainly not the manner in which the Kiwi thrower would have liked to achieve Olympic glory, and indeed she made reference to how she could never forgive Ostapchuk for stealing the moment of victory from her.

W – World Records

Jamaica smash the men's 4x100m world record

Rudisha wasn’t the only record breaker at London 2012 however. Three other world records were set during the athletics programme. The US women’s 4x100m relay team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter annihilated the old record by over half a second, with a remarkable clocking of 40.82. This performance was all the more incredible given the fact that the old record, a tainted mark held by East Germany, had lasted a dominant 27 years. The men’s 4x100m world record was also broken, with the Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt recording a sensational 36.84, the first sub 37 second clocking in history, while Russian Elena Lashmanova set a new standard of 1:25:02 in the women’s 20k Walk overhauling serial championship gold medalist and fellow countrywoman Olga Kaniskina in the dying stages of the race.

X – X-Country

Fionnuala Briton defends her European Cross Country title

Szentendre, Hungary played host to one of the more memorable moments in Irish athletics in recent years. On 9^th December Ireland picked up not one, but two gold medals at the European Cross Country Championships. Wicklow athlete, Fionnuala Britton brilliantly defended the title she won at Velenje, Slovenia 12 months previously, defeating European 10000m Champion Ana Dulce Felix of Portugal by two seconds in tough snowy conditions, in the process becoming the first female to claim back to back titles in the senior race in the 19 year history of event. Britton also played a pivotal role in helping the Irish senior women to claim the team title for the first time. The team of Fionnuala Britton, Linda Byrne (8^th), Ava Hutchinson (20^th), Lizzie Lee (23^rd), Sarah McCormack (36^th) and Sara Treacy (42^nd) took the gold with a combined score of 52 points, edging the French on countback. With this victory behind them, and the return to form of Mary Cullen, the Irish women can approach the upcoming World Cross-Country Championships with a lot of confidence and optimism.

Y – Yelena Isinbayeva

Long time the dominant force in women’s pole vault, Yelena Isinbayeva hasn’t had it all her own way since her Olympic gold medal triumph in Beijing. The twice World and Olympic champion failed to medal at both the 2009 and 2011 World Championships in Berlin and Daegu respectively. However with an indoor world record of 5.01m set in Stockholm in February 2012 and World Indoor gold a few weeks later in Istanbul the Russian set herself up as the gold medal favourite for the London Olympics. However she could do no better than finish in the bronze medal position with a clearance of 4.70m, with American Jennifer Suhr defeating Cuba’s Yarisley Silva to the gold on countback, with both clearing 4.75m. The defeat fully signalled an end of an era in women’s pole vaulting. The 2013 Moscow World Championships are rumoured to be Isinbayeva’s swansong, where this great ambassador for athletics will hope to end a long career with gold in front of her home crowd.

Z - Zuzana Hejnová

Women's 400m Hurdles medalists from London 2012

While not a gold medallist from London, Zuzana Hejnova is as worthy an entry for the letter Z as any in 2012. Having underperformed at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu and the 2012 European Championships in Helsinki, the 25 year old Czech athlete had a superb Olympic Games, claiming the bronze medal in the 400m Hurdles with an impressive clocking of 53.38 seconds, just 0.09 off her national record. The race was won by Russian Natalya Antyukh with a sensational world leading time of 52.70, edging defending world champion Lashinda Demus in an epic battle by just 0.07 seconds.

This is the final part of James’ review of 2012. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

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PART 2 (I-P)

I – Istanbul

Istanbul was the setting for the 14th World Indoor Championships, which took place between the 9th and 11th of March. In total, 618 athletes competed, representing 171 nations. 28 countries made it on to the medals table, which was topped by the USA, who dominated the meet claiming 10 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze. It was the multi-event athletes who provided the major highlights of the championships with American Ashton Eaton setting a new world record of 6645 points in the men’s heptathlon, while Ukrainian Nataliya Dobrynska did likewise with a score of 5013 points in the women’s pentathlon, surprisingly beating heavy favourite, Jessica Ennis of Great Britain in the process. Other highlights included Sally Pearson winning 60m hurdles gold in a rare indoor appearance for the Australian, recording one of the fastest clockings in history with a blistering 7.73 seconds, and American Brittany Resse taking long jump gold in a championship record leap of 7.23m. From an Irish perspective it was a disappointing championships with just 3 athletes representing the nation in Turkey. Derval O’Rourke disappointingly went out in the semi-finals of the 60m Hurdles in what was quite a weakened field, Ciaran O’Lionaird struggled with injury in the heats of the 1500m, while Ben Reynolds showed some promise with an encouraging qualification for the 60m hurdles semi-final.

J – Junior & young senior talent

While London wasn’t a very successful Olympic Games from an Irish point of view, 2012 provided an indication that there may be a golden era for Irish athletics around the corner. Ireland has arguably never had so much up and coming talent at its disposal and some have already began to make their mark at senior level. Firstly, there were the stunning performances of 400m runner Brian Gregan at the Helsinki European Championships. Entering the year with a PB of 45.96 the 22 year old made big strides smashing this mark by over 3 tenths with a 45.63 clocking to win his heat and qualify for the semi-finals as the fastest qualifier. Gregan easily negotiated his way to the final where he eventually finished in 6^th place. At the National Championships a few weeks later he lowered his best again to 45.61.

The Barr siblings also made a strong impact in Helsinki. In her first major senior championship 23 year old Jessie Barr performed admirably, running a PB of 55.93 seconds in the semi-final, qualifying for the final of the women’s 400m Hurdles in the process, where she eventually finished in 8th place. This performance moved her up to second on the Irish all-time list, behind former World Championship finalist and fellow Waterford woman Susan Smith. Younger brother Thomas, competing also in the 400m Hurdles, finished in a highly respectable 13^th place in his debut senior championships, running within two tenths of his PB in the semi-final, clocking 50.22, and missing out on a place in the final by just four tenths of a second. At just 20 years of age there is plenty more to come from this talented Ferrybank hurdler.

Jessie Barr in action in the semi-final of the European Championships

But perhaps the most eye-opening performance of 2012 from an Irish point of view was from Mark English. The Letterkenny AC athlete made a huge leap with a remarkable 1:45.77 over 800m in Oordegem, Belgium, setting a new Irish junior record, and consequently moving the talented 19 year old up to fourth on the Irish all-time list. English went on to back this performance up at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona where he finished a very impressive 5th, behind two athletes who later went on to medal behind David Rudisha at the Olympic Games.

With plenty more talent bubbling below at junior and youth level there is plenty to look forward to in Irish athletics over the coming years.

K – Kirani James

Another star of the London Olympic Games was Grenada’s quarter miler Kirani James. The Caribbean athlete stunned the world in 2011 winning World Championship gold in Daegu two days before his 19^th birthday. A year on, and still a teenager, James once again set the 400m alight, demolishing the field to claim the Olympic title in 43.94 seconds on a wet night, over half a second ahead of Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic who took silver with 44.46, with Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago in third place running a personal best of 44.52. This remarkable performance was the first sub 44 mark by a non-American and pushed him up to 9th on the all-time list. His victory marked a first ever Olympic medal of any colour for the tiny nation of Grenada. At just 20 years of age one gets the feeling that this exciting talent has every chance of challenging Michael Johnson’s world record of 43.18 in the future.

L – London

London played host to the 14th Summer Paralympic Games, which took place between the 29th August and 9th September, an event which saw unprecedented attendances figures, with most venues filling to 100% capacity. The track and field events played host to 1,100 competitors who battled it out for gold, silver and bronze in 170 different events. China topped the medal’s table with a whopping 33 gold medals, almost twice that of second place Russia who claimed 18, and three times Great Britain’s tally of 11 who finished in third place. In total 61 countries won a track and field medal during the Games.

Jason Smyth celebrates his successful defence of his Paralympic titles

As always Oscar Pistorious was the centre of media attention throughout the Games. The Blade Runner, as he is commonly known within the abled-bodied world of track and field,  was surprisingly beaten into the second place in the T44 200m final by Brazilian Alan Fonteles Cardosa Oliveira, who came from a long way back at half way to catch the South African in the closing stages to win in a time of 21.45 seconds. Pistorious’ reaction afterwards sparked controversy when he suggested that the Brazilian’s blades were too long and gave him an unfair advantage. Nevertheless the multiple Paralympic champion put this result behind him and gained revenge on the South American as he easily claimed gold in his favoured distance, the 400m. Arguably the star of the Paralympics however was Great Britain’s David Weir. The 33 year old remarkably claimed gold in all four events he participated in: 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon in the T54 wheelchair class.

From an Irish point of view London 2012 was a stunning success as the team claimed 6 medals in total; 4 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze. Jason Smyth stole the show defending both his 100m and 200m T13 titles, both in world record times of 10.46 and 21.05 respectively. His compatriot Michael McKillop also completed a wonderful double taking top honours in both the 800m and 1500m in the T37 class. The medal winning performances were completed by discuss throwers Catherine O’Neill (F51/52) and Orla Barry (F57/58) who won silver and bronze respectively.

M – Merritt

Aries Merritt smashes the 110m Hurdles world record in Brussels

Few events in 2012 were dominated by one person to the degree seen in the Men’s 100m Hurdles. American Aries Merritt recorded eight of the ten fastest times over the event including the seven fastest. At the London Olympics he won the gold medal with a PB of 12.92 seconds, defeating US compatriot Jason Richardson (13.04) into second place. A couple of weeks later Merritt stepped his dominant form up another couple of notches, smashing the world record at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels, with a sensational clocking of 12.80 seconds. This was a huge 0.07 seconds inside Cuban Dayron Robles’ old mark. What makes this performance all the more remarkable is that since Renaldo Nehemiah set the standard at 12.93 in August 1981, the world record had only progressed by 0.06 seconds in over three decades before Merrit tore up the record books. It is safe to say that the bar has now been raised significantly in this event.

N – National Records

In comparison to recent years 2012 was a quiet year on the national record front. During 2011 there were 5 new senior outdoor Irish records set:

Brian McGovern:  5.06m – Men’s Pole Vault

Robert Heffernan: 3:37:54 – Men’s 50K Walk Road

Tori Pena: 4.52m – Women’s Pole Vault

Mairead Murphy: 5399 – Women’s Heptathlon

Anita Fitzgibbon: 52.97m – Women’s Javelin

O – Organisation

The 2012 Olympic Games have filled many with wonderful memories and it wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional organisation around London which ensured everything ran smoothly. First there were the volunteers, whose tireless efforts and constant cheer made even the longest of queues that bit more bearable. Then there was the security which far surpasses anything that has ever been seen at a sporting event before. Entering the Olympic Park required the same level of scrutiny as crossing security control in JFK Airport, and despite the inconvenience it provides at the time, it’s the way it should be. The knowledge that there isn’t some imbecile inside the venue ready to make a name for himself at the biggest event in the world is comforting. And finally the transport system. While the Tube may be a mix between a sauna and restaurant overly exposed to garlic, there can be no complaints with regards to the efficiency in which it was able to support so many people travelling around the city. There were worries that London’s transport system wouldn’t be able to deal with the sheer numbers of people, but these fears were unfounded.

For 16 days, London ran faster, jumped higher and threw further than the rest of the world. Over to you Rio!

P – Pearson

Sally Pearson claims Olympic gold by the narrowest of margins

Another highlight of the Olympic Games centered around the women’s 100m hurdles with one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors, Sally Pearson claiming the Olympic gold that her dominance over recent years deserved. Pearson, who ran the fourth fastest time in history (12.28) in 2011 when claiming World Championship gold has been almost unbeatable over the last two years and entered London as the clear favourite to claim the one title that eluded her. However, the Australian had to battle all the way to the line, edging defending champion Dawn Harper of the USA by just 0.02 seconds with an Olympic record time of 12.35 in unfavourable conditions. With the pressure of the Olympics now off her shoulders, few would bet against the Queenslander breaking the long standing world record this coming season.

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PART 1 (A-H)

A – Attendance

The attendances at the athletics events at London 2012 were nothing short of outstanding. For every single track and field session, whether morning or evening, the stadium was packed to the rafters, in particular for the morning sessions, where usually athletes are competing in front of an almost empty stadium. The Daegu World Championships were impressive last year with the crowds that attended the heats in the morning, but London has taken this to a whole new level. It must have been an incredible kick for lesser ranked athletes, those who got eliminated in the heats, to compete in front of 80,000 people, something which most certainly did not happen during the Sydney, Athens or Beijing Olympics. The support was excellent from the British public, particularly for those athletes who wore the GB vest. While many of the spectators inside the stadium were not particularly knowledgeable about the sport, this was not an issue, and no doubt some of the people in attendance will have been inspired to get involved in the sport as a result.

What was particularly heartwarming was the unprecedented number of supporters lining the streets of London for the marathon and race-walking events. It is hard to make an accurate estimate of how many people were along the Mall and Buckingham Palace for the men’s 50k, but an approximation of over 100,000 would not be very farfetched at all, and the atmosphere was among the most memorable of all sporting events I have attended over the years. Overall, there has never been a better supported Olympic Games, and we may never see the likes of it again.

B – Bolt

Usain bolt completes the double-double in London

It is inevitable that every athletics related A to Z will include mention of Usain Bolt. The flamboyant Jamaican has been track and field’s showpiece act over the last four years and by far the biggest draw for casual fans of the sport. However, despite his array of gold medals and world records to his name over the past four years, many believed that the showman from Jamaica was starting to appear fallible, illustrated in particular by defeat to his countryman Yohan Blake over both 100m and 200m at the 2012 Jamaican trials. However in London Bolt found an extra gear, defending his 100m title in 9.63, the second fastest clocking of all time, ahead of Blake, who claimed the silver medal in 9.75, equaling his personal best in the process, while disgraced former Olympic Champion, American Justin Gatlin edged out compatriot Tyson Gay to take bronze in 9.79. Seven of the eight finalists ran sub 10 seconds in what was unquestionably the quickest race in history.

A few days later, Bolt returned to successfully defend his 200m crown, clocking 19.32, again pushing Blake down into the silver medal position in 19.44, a victory which was more convincing than the 0.12 margin suggests. Warren Weir completed a Jamaican clean sweep taking the bronze in 19.84. In claiming double gold, Bolt became the first athlete in history to win both the 100m and 200m in consecutive Olympics. It appears he will attempt to defend his titles at the next Games in Rio de Janeiro rather than look to move up in distance to the 400m. Whatever he decides the cameras will not be far away and the charismatic sprinter will be lapping it all up. We wouldn’t want it any other way!

C – Controversy

It seems that the Athletics Association of Ireland and controversy are never far apart and 2012 proved to be a depressing example of incompetence and inequity. First there was the harsh decision to omit Rory Chesser and Brian Murphy from the Irish team for the European Championships in Helsinki despite the fact they had comfortably reached the qualification standard for their respective events. What makes this total lack of justice all the more alarming is that the aforementioned athletes were originally entered to compete for Ireland and their names were listed on the EAA website only for somebody in the organisation to go to the unwarranted effort to ensure their names were removed from the competition start list. The AAI received considerable bad press which could easily have been avoided. But lesson learned right?

Wrong! Only weeks after the Helsinki debacle, and yet another controversy had arisen, this time centring around the Irish women’s 4x400m relay squad which had brilliantly qualified to compete in the Games as one of the top 16 ranked teams in the world. One would have imagined from the outset that selecting a squad of 6 for London would have been nothing but a mere formality with the 6 fastest women gaining their ticket to London. However the AAI proceeded to make a complete hames of proceedings and selected the 7^th fastest athlete Catriona Cuddihy over the 6^th fastest Joanna Mills. Not only did Mills have a faster  PB than Cuddihy but she also had a faster season’s best, had championship pedigree with a 4^th place finish at the 2011 European Junior Championships, and aged just 19 had significantly stronger developmental potential than Cuddihy who is 6 years her senior. Whatever angle one looked at this there should only have been one winner. Mills rightfully appealed this decision with the original choice being overturned. The mess continued when Cuddihy counter appealed to the Olympic Council of Ireland who reversed the result of the appeal. The end result in all of this was that Cuddihy was selected to travel to London and an aggrieved Mills has since declared to run for Great Britain. The extent of her talent is not currently known and time will tell how much of a loss to Irish athletics this amateurish mess has caused.

D – Doping

Turkey dominate the Women's 1500m Olympic final

While London 2012 was filled with many unforgettable moments, there were nonetheless a few uglier instances which leave a bitter taste in the mouth. Many long term followers of the sport could say with a reasonable degree of confidence that the 2012 Games have been the cleanest in a long time, as anti-doping procedures are getting more stringent by the year. However, as always, there will be those who slip through the net, those who succumb to the temptation to take a short cut. A particular sad sight was that of Turkey claiming both gold and silver in the women’s 1500m, with Asli Cakir Alptekin taking victory, while her compatriot Gamze Bulut followed closely in second place. Cakir is a convicted drug cheat, banned from competition for two years in 2004 and in 2012 she ran a staggering 3:56, making an eye-opening 6 second improvement on her pre-2012 PB. Bulut, although very young at just 20 years of age, made an astonishing 17 second gain in the same time frame. What makes the performances all the more suspect is the sad fact that, as a nation, Turkey has an appalling history with regards doping, to the degree that it is very difficult for them to be taken seriously anymore. I’d like to think that these two ladies have now fulfilled WADA’s criteria for future target testing!

E – Europeans

The 21^st European Athletics Championships took place at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki between 27^th June and 1^st July 2012. These championships were the first edition of the new 2 year cycle for the competition, a change from every 4 years, and were without any marathon or racewalking competitions. In total 50 nations competed with 27 winning at least one medal. Germany topped the medals table winning 6 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze, finishing ahead of a weakened Russia in second place, who won just 5 gold, half of their total from Barcelona two years earlier.

Notwithstanding some impressive performances by the likes of Renaud Lavillenie, Mo Farah and Olha Saladukha among others, the championships as a whole were a pure disaster. Firstly there was the farcically tight bends which led to an embarrassing number of disqualifications in the sprint events due to athletes stepping out of their lanes, which rendered some of the events a complete farce. In addition, with the competition taking place just one month before the Olympic Games many of Europe’s top athletes rightfully chose to skip Helsinki to focus on the main prize in London, thus watering down the event and doing serious damage to the prestige of the European Championships, a competition steeped in history and respect. Such a championship deserves to be the sole focus of an athlete’s summer season, something which was very much the case when the event was staged every 4 years. But now, rather regretfully, every second European Championships will be seen by many as merely a developmental competition. The truth is that the 5 days in Helsinki had a feel of a European Under 23 Championships about it. The sooner the EAA revert back to a 4 year cycle the better.

F – Felix

One of the more popular champions from London 2012 was the dynamic American sprinter Allyson Felix. The three time world champion over 200m finally claimed the Olympic title after consecutive silver medals over the half lap distance in Athens and Beijing. In the final she clocked 21.88 to easily beat the 100m champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, into second place (22.09), with Carmelita Jeter taking the bronze (22.14). The 26 year old American was one of the biggest winners of the Games claiming 3 gold in total (200m, 4x100m, 4x400m) and finishing 5^th in the 100m final for good measure.

Allyson Felix claims Olympic 200m gold for the first time

While Allyson Felix’s 200m victory was expected, the complete opposite was true with regards veteran Felix Sanchez’s triumph in the men’s 400m Hurdles. The Dominican Republic athlete was once the dominant force in the event, claiming world titles in 2001 and 2003, Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 and remaining unbeaten for a staggering 43 races between 2001 and 2004. However in the last 8 years, notwithstanding a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships, Sanchez has been operating more at a top 8 level, consistently making finals but rarely challenging for ultimate glory. However that all changed at this year’s London Olympics where the 35 year old stunned the world by claiming gold in a lightning 47.63 seconds, his fastest run since his first Olympic gold 8 years earlier. Who says over 30 is too old to sprint eh?

G – GB

A memorable night for GB athletics

The host nation Great Britain had a successful Olympics, winning six athletics medals in total, including four gold. However, it was the evening of Saturday 4^th August which provided perhaps the greatest night in British sporting history. In the space of 90 minutes, the host nation won not one, not two, but three gold medals in front of an elated and patriotic home crowd inside the Olympic Stadium. Jessica Ennis began the festivities with a dominant victory in the heptathlon. The glamourous Sheffield athlete set a new British record of 6955 points, a performance which lifts her to number 5 on the world all-time list. Next up was Greg Rutherford, who took the spoils in the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.31m, defeating silver medalist Australian Mitchell Watt by 15cm in what was a disappointing competition, with too many sub-standard performances. Mo Farah completed a famous hat-trick with gold in the men’s 10000m, demolishing the best East Africa could throw at him with a devastating 53 second last lap, with his training partner, Galen Rupp of the USA, claiming an excellent second place. Farah went on to complete a historic double one week later, taking 5000m gold and becoming only the 7^th man in history to win Olympic gold in both events at the same Games, joining Hannes Kolehmainen, Emil Zatopek, Lasse Viren (twice), Vladimir Kuts, Mirutz Yifter and Kenenisa Bekele among the pantheon of Olympic legends.

H – Heffernan

Rob Heffernan after his 4th place performance in London

From an Irish perspective the unquestionable highlight of London 2012 was Rob Heffernan’s performance in the men’s 50k Walk. The Togher athlete has been a very reliable championship performer over the years, finishing 6^th at the 2007 World Championships over 20k, 8^th at the Beijing Olympics at the same distance, and 4^th in both race walking events at the 2010 European Championships. After finishing 9^th in the 20k at these Games, in what was effectively used as preparation for the 50k, Heffernan turned his attention to his main event, which took place 7 days later in front of huge galleries of supporters along the Mall and Buckingham Palace. Cheered on by remarkable Irish support and numerous renditions of the Fields of Athenry, the Corkman paced himself perfectly, electing not to go with the early leaders, and over the closing stages picked off tiring athletes in front of him one by one. Heffernan eventually finished in 4^th place in a sensational time of 3:37:54, knocking 7:36 off his old Irish record, and was just 38 seconds behind bronze medalist Si Tianfeng of China. This clocking puts him up to 15^th on the world all-time list, and would have been good enough for silver in Beijing and gold at every other previous Olympic Games. While he was no doubt disappointed not to come away with a medal, one gets the feeling that his time will come in Moscow later this year at the World Championships.

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Steve Cain is an elite athlete from Melbourne, Australia who specialises in the decathlon. He has won multiple Victorian State and Australian National championship titles at both junior and senior level. His PB of 7844 points, achieved at the 2012 Victorian Championships, ranks him 10th on the Australian all-time list. In 2011 he represented Australia at the World University Games at Shenzhen, China, finishing in 7th place.

Steve Cain in action in the 100m

James: Thank you for taking the time to talk to The Running Review. So to begin, how did you first get involved in athletics?

Steve: Camberwell/Malvern little athletics in u/9, through my primary school I would guess.

James: Did you have a particular athletics idol growing up?

Steve: Not really. If anyone it would have been the best hurdlers in the world when I was young: Colin Jackson & Allen Johnson.

James: How did you get involved in multi-eventing? When did you realise that your future in the sport would be in the decathlon?

Steve: My first ever national championships were in Sydney 1999, as a year 9 student at St Kevins. I competed in the Triple Jump, 100m Hurdles, High jump and 200m Hurdles. While in the stands at this event, another athlete had a “multi event points book” and it was then that I realised there was an event that you could combine many individual events. I returned from this event and Simon Lewin, a friend through school, introduced me to my current coach Efim Shuravetsky. I started training with him and his team of coaches, learning all the events with a group of heptathletes. I also started pole vault with his son Julian, and did my first u/20 decathlon as a 16yr old. Whilst I was disqualified in that comp (for not attempting the PV… another story!) I was allowed entry to the national championships where I placed 2^nd. It was then when I thought I could make something of Decathlon.

James: What would you describe as your strongest discipline? Which do you feel needs the most improvement?

Steve: Pole Vault would probably be my strongest event. Long jump would need the most improvement!

Representing his club St Kevin's

James: Somewhat related to the previous question, what are your favourite and least favourite events?

Steve: My most favourite are those events that go well on the day! And vice versa, if an event goes bad I don’t like it. Everything equal…. pole vault, javelin, hurdles are more favourites while it will be a life changing day when the 1500m becomes my favourite!

James: What one moment in your career to date are you most proud of?

Steve: Making the World Uni Games was a great moment, but I am most proud of winning my first national title in 2009. Not because of the performance on the day, or the score (which wasn’t amazing) but for the attitude and determination in the days/weeks/months and years leading up to that season. I had been injured for soooo long, and was still carrying injuries which would have made it easy to bypass that season all together, so I was proud to even get to the start line. Or, at 28yrs that I still believe 100%, despite injuries etc etc, that I will still improve!

James: After starting 2012 on a high note with a PB in the Victorian State Championships you missed the rest of the year and a chance of qualifying for the London Olympics through injury. Can you put this disappointment into words? What positives have you taken from it?

Steve: Of course you can put it into words…. Things Happen! Some things are good, some aren’t so good! You do all you can to prevent injury and treat them when they arise, but at the end of the day you have to take each day as it comes and if there are a succession of days where you can’t do anything, you can either work around it or accept it and move forward. An injury is never ideal, and I had to take some time off which I had no choice over. So you move up and move on, and reset goals to keep you going. Unfinished business!

James: The Australian track season is in full flight now. What are your goals for 2013? Have you got the Moscow World Championships in your sights?

Steve: I still have much training to get done, and to increase the quality/quantity of training. Looking to compete at the State and National championships in Australia before heading overseas for another 1-3 comps, hopefully one of those is in Moscow.

James: Can you give an insight into the training of an elite decathlete? At this time of year, what would an average week of training look like? How does this change come the Australian championship season in February to April? How do you combine so many different disciplines into a training week?

Steve: In short, it’s very difficult with many variables needing consideration (events, recovery, work, different: coaches, training partners, locations etc etc) At present, each event receives some attention twice every week with one training session focussing on the event itself, and another session to add supplementary exercises. We have 5-6 gym sessions each week, with 2 designated for power lifting and the other three include a combination of those supplementary exercises and additional gym work. We do 2-3 running sessions each week which are combined with a jumps event, either Long Jump or High Jump. Separate throws sessions are done for shot put and discus, while javelin is combined with Pole Vault. On top of this are recover/rehab/injury prevention sessions and a couple of 20-25min jogs. All in all, each week will usually have 12-15 training sessions, each varying between 90mins and 4hrs. The closer to competitions we get, the more intense our sessions and the less load we do, leaving a little more time for recovery.

James: Many Australian athletes have struggled with the track season in Europe and the major championships being at a different time to the Australian track season and can often peak three or four months too early. Is this a concern for you, and how do you plan to manage this challenge?

Steve: Any Australian athlete that takes pride in the Australian track season and puts value on our national championships will find an added difficulty with the differing times of season. Last year we attempted to peak for nationals in early April, then again for a 2 month season in Europe, whilst trying again to peak in August for the World University Games. Not only is it hard to arrange training to peak at various times, any athletics season that has you competing from January – August is too long! To manage this in the future, it would simply come down to a matter of priority, what is more important. If you are searching for qualifying performances for a major championship, you have to compete. If you have already qualified, train up and prepare for the big comp.

Steve Cain

James: No decathlete can get away without being asked this question. Many multi-eventers admit to not training specifically for the final event on the programme, the 1500m. Do you do any specific sessions for the metric mile? Why is this discipline usually overlooked in training by decathletes?

Steve: Of course we do! It’s easy to say that training for this event is not as important as others, due to the running/aerobic benefits you receive from training for all other events. But there is value in running a good 1500m. Most of our general training will produce an ok 1500m but 9 events are power and the 1500m is more aerobic, so a little specific training is needed. Ideally we would do 20-25min jogs 2-3 times a week. Some may call that 1500m training, others may not. Other than that, we don’t do much long running, though 4x400m at race pace with 200m jog rest is a regular session we do, once every 2 weeks, as well as an occasional fartlek.

James: How important is core strength work for a decathlete and how much emphasis do you put on it? What specific core strength exercises do you incorporate into your training?

Steve: Core strength is vital, with many rotational events requiring very high load tolerance. There is a big focus on it during training, but not so far as “let’s do sit-ups to get a strong core.” We use many different drills, incorporating weights, bars, balls and other implements to train our core in all ways possible. Specific exercises may include: weighted incline sit-ups, Russian twists, varying med ball throws, V snaps (jackknifes), bar rotations, high bar hanging legs up etc etc etc etc

James: There’s no doubt that a decathlon is extremely demanding on the human body. What is your post competition routine? What do you do specifically to recover?

Steve: Directly post comp, I will try get a group of the Decathletes I’ve competed with and go for a jog of the track to TRY warm down, stretch and maybe even a couple of light run throughs. Then I would usually do a hot/cold session, maybe a massage, followed by a big meal to replenish energy stores. Then rest for a couple of days!! Ease back into training thereafter.

James: The decathlon is well known for its unique camaraderie among competitors. Can you describe what this is like? Have you made many friends through direct competition?

Steve: This is true, and I think it stems from an appreciation of what it takes to prepare and complete a decathlon. Yes it is competitive against athletes, but it is just as competitive against yourself and the scoring system. All athletes have their own event aims, and work towards accumulating as many points during a competition as they can, and I think most athletes are encouraging of this and genuinely hope each athlete does their best. Many friends have been made through competition, and after competition.

James: There are some who argue that the world’s best decathlete is by default the world’s best track and field athlete. Would you agree with this?

Steve: Yes. I think people always look at the end result and say they won the Olympics because they were faster/stronger/could jump further etc than everyone else, hence they are the best athlete in the world. It is often overlooked that the athlete’s ability to learn new skills, perfect current skills, adapt and maintain intense training loads, maintain mental focus for 2 days of competition is what makes them great, not just their performance!

James: You compete regularly in the AV Shield, Victoria’s primary inter-club competition, which caters for every athlete regardless of age or standard. How important has this competition been with regards broadening the appeal of track and field and getting more of the average Joe’s involved in the sport? Going forward, how can this appeal be increased?

Steve: Shield/Interclub is a very valuable competition as it provides opportunity to compete as a team, against athletes of the same standard as yourself in a non threatening and non elite environment. I love to see people trying events that they have never done before to help their team whilst broadening their exposure and experience of the sport. Other than simply getting people down to compete and ensuring a fun and supportive club environment… don’t get me started on increasing appeal, long discussion!

James: Do you feel athletics in Australia gets its fair share of funding or can more be done to help the sport develop? How do you support yourself financially?

Steve: A can of worms for sure, but in short: I believe we get plenty of government funding, but where that funding goes is VERY questionable. I also think that athletics in Australia receive VERY little of the private/corporate sponsorship funding in Australian sport which is of equal concern. I work as an athletics coach, both privately and with a few school athletic programs as well as running a DJ business. Whilst having grown up in a supportive family of which I am very lucky, my income and no support from Athletics Australia makes it a very difficult juggling act!

Multiple Australian Decathlon champion

James: You are the president of the IAAF for one day. What drastic changes do you make?

Steve: Hmmmm…. never been asked that before! Whilst perhaps not in the best interest of the sport as a whole, would it be too selfish to ensure all T&F events were given the same publicity and funding? It would also be great to withdraw the limit of athletes per country in each event at major championships for one year. Having 10+ Kenyans doing battle with each other over a 3000m Steeple Chase or all the American & Jamaican sprinters in with a chance to make a world stage final!

James: When not competing, do you enjoy watching athletics? What current athlete do you like watching the most?

Steve: As we are either training or competing most of the time, there are few aths meets we get to as a spectator, other than some in which my athletes are competing in. There is also very little TV coverage of athletics available in Australia, but Youtube is great for research and additional motivation! The magic and anticipation of a 100m race with Bolt is hard to beat, though watching Renaud Lavillenie attempt 6m+ in the Pole Vault is exciting! Merritt in the hurdles, but by far the best is watching ANY Aussie on the world stage, especially Sally of course!

James: That’s great Steve. Thank you for your time and the very best of luck over the coming season and beyond into 2013.

Steve: Not a problem.

Keep up to date with Steve’s progress through his official website and facebook page.

Check out a mini-documentary on Steve Cain here. 

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