by Larry EderDiet books keep the book industry alive. My prediction is that Usain Bolt has at least one diet book in his future. Look, the fast food industry has to love the guy. Apparently living on a diet of Chicken McNuggets and G2 (check out his Gatorade videos), Usain Bolt gave us three world records last summer!
No Chicken Nuggets for Bolt? What is the world coming to?, photo by Photorun.net
Now, according to Uk writer David Martin, Mr. Bolt is taking his diet to another level-a real diet-real food, etc. His coach has decided no nuggets for awhile! How will the Golden Arches survive? Usain Bolt has given up chicken McNuggets! Why hasn’t this been picked up on the E channel? Or Fox News?
(This is the second time this spring that an elite athlete has given up the junk food binges. In a recent interview, Jeremy Wariner told runblogrun that he was cutting back on the golden arches. Is this some kind of conspiracy thing?)
I do remember, way back in the early eighties, nutritionist Nancy Clark asked Bill Rodgers, then at the height of his marathon powers (in 1978-79, the guy ran 34 straight races, from 10k to the marathon, winning 30 of them). Running 140 miles a week, the guy lived on, among other things, cold pizza (adding some mayonnaise), pickle juice, and just about whatever else was put in front of him. Nancy was quite politic-she did tell Bill that his diet could be improved, but she did not, at 140 miles a week, his body was turning whatever he ate into fuel.
The fact is that Usain Bolt is now a three time gold medalist. More is expected of him, from his country, his coach, his sponsors. Every race counts and in track & field, Mr. Bolt has a big bullseye on his back. A new kid beating Usain Bolt just adds a few zeroes behind a sponsorship check. The party has changed, and Usain is a smart enough young man to realize that. Fortunately for Usain, his coach, Glenn Mills, figured that out a long time ago. The big success for Mills was not Usain winning three gold medals, it was convincing Bolt that he had the talent and needed to work on it to be the best in the world.
In many ways, (to steal from writer Don Kardong), Usain Bolt was a nutritional agnostic. That agnosticism has changed; nutrition is now one of his trianing tools. What doe this tell us, gentle readers? a) Mr. Bolt is serious about his training, b) he listens to his coach, Coach Mills, and c) there could be some exciting races this summer!
Bolt is on a diet and predicts fast times
KINGSTON (JAM): Triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt believes with further training under his belt he will be in a much sharper condition later in the season. Bolt taking a break from an intensive preparation camp assured the world’s media in Kingston Friday, he is confident he can again produce some blitzing sprint performances in a summer season where the World Championships in August is his top priority. Writes David Martin. Bolt in particular feels after clocking a wind assisted but still quick 9.93 in his first 100 m race of the new campaign last month, believes attacking his current mark at the distance is within his capabilities. “I’m getting there, I’m probably about 60% at the moment so I try not to think about it. I’m actually on a diet now because I’m really trying to catch up with my training. My coach decided that I should stop eating nuggets for a while,†said Bolt who respects all of his rivals. He added: “But if the competition is as strong as I think it is going to be then the 100 m record could certainly come down. I haven’t thought about times but it will be a very interesting season. It will be a very interesting year, there have been a lot of good performances coming out of this season already. Hopefully when people come to the meetings they will know it is possible to break the world record. But my aim is always to be a champion, so that is more important than records.” He plans to run on May 2 in Kingston, then the street 150 m in Manchester and in Toronto on June 11. Bolt will miss the opportunity of clashing with European Indoor Champion Dwain Chambers in Manchester after organisers declined giving the former drug cheat an invitation to the meeting. Chambers recently said he believed that he is the sprinter who can beat the world’s fastest man – but the showdown will take place elsewhere, probably at the World Championships in Berlin, although Bolt said he is happy to race against the Briton at any meeting. Bolt’s other mission is to keep a promise to Cristiano Ronaldo to pass on some sprinting tips during his trip to Manchester. He will visit the United training ground on May 15 before attending the home match against Arsenal the next day. “I’m really looking forward to it,” said Bolt. “I definitely think I can give him [Ronaldo] a few pointers to make him faster and give him the edge over the other guys,” British media are informing.
OTHER NEWS
WALNUT (USA): 2004 Men’s Pole Vault Olympic Silver Medalist Toby Stevenson will kick off his 2009 season at the Mt. SAC Relays. Stevenson one of the most colorful and popular track and field figures in the world is a three time Mt. SAC Relays Champion. An avid supporter of the Relays, Stevenson is known for his entertaining celebrations and his signature black helmet which according to him “protects his Stanford education.” Stevenson will be challenged by an world class international contingent including Mexican record holder Giovanni Lanaro and best Japanese Daichi Sawano. The field will also include up and coming Americans Mark Hollis, Tommy Skipper and Rory Quiller. With over 12,000 competitors from youth to the world class athlete, the Mt. SAC Relays is the world’s largest track and field competition. The 2009 event will be held on April 11, 16, 17 and 18th. The Mt. SAC Relays has hosted superstars of track and field for over 51 years. 13 World Records have been set at historic Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
AUCKLAND (NZL): Lord Sebastian Coe believes Nick Willis can continue a “very fine” New Zealand tradition by winning gold at the London Olympics. The two-time Olympic Games middle distance champion said about 1500m bronze medalist from Beijing 2008, Wilis: “It’s great that he’s been competitive amongst the strength of Africa. But he follows in a very fine tradition.“ Asked if Willis could win gold in London, Coe said there was “absolutely no reason” why not. “If you believe it, then it’s possible. Nobody else can set your dreams, they’re yours. And if he believes he can do that, then he can.”
NAIROBI (KEN): Kenya supports Brazilian bid for the 2016 Olympics. „The developing world needs to be given a chance to host Olympic games and Kenya backs Brazil’s bid for the 2016 Games,“ the Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said. “Olympics in Kenya will open doors for Kenya. I will lobby for Brazil to host the 2016 games in the hope that Brazil will support Kenya for the 2020 games,” Raila said.
NASSAU (BAH): The Bahamas Athletics Federation (BAAA) is to ensure that The Bahamas is represented in all four relay events at major international meets. The BAAA will start its bid for early qualification for the Berlin World championships, next weekend. If the women’s 4x400m team is able to qualify, it will be the first time they will field a team for a World Championships.
STOCKHOLM (SWE): Swedish stars expressed their voice against soccer-only stadium in Stockholm in future. Former high jump champions Kajsa Bergqvist, Stefan Holm and Staffan Strand are requiring that athletics remains. “This is a matter for the entire Swedish Athletics. The stadium is the oldest Olympic stadium and there is no other arena where so many world records have been broken, “says Stefan Holm. “That this would be a stadium for football only just feels like tearing the soul out of athletics, “says Kajsa Bergqvist.
RESULTS: World leading 13.19 Oliver and 12.69 Cherry
GAINESVILLE (USA, Apr 3): A pair of world leading hurdles sprints highlighted the Friday programme at 65th Pepsi Florida Relays. Olympic bronze medalist David Oliver clocked 13.19 (+1.0) beating Eric Mitchum (13.31), former sprinter Jamaican Dwight Thomas (13.49) and Nigerian Selim Nurudeen (13.66). But after the finish he was worried as he described on his blog: “Unfortunately, going in to hurdle seven, my quad cramped up. It’s definitely nothing major, I was really worried once I finished competing. When I felt the cramp, it really broke my focus. I’m still happy with the performance but even happier that nothing major is wrong with your boy. I broke my old meet/stadium record in the process and won a nice plaque. I’ve won this event the past four years. Brooks (Johnson, coach) went on ahead and tapped me out of the shuttle hurdle race for precautionary reasons, no reason to potentially make a mountain out of a mole hill. So I hopped in the Jag and shot back down the Turnpike back to Orlando.†Olympic fourth placer Damu Cherry won the women 100 m Hurdles in fastest of 2009 12.69 (+1.0) clearly ahead of Kellie Wells (13.01). Another fastest time of 2009 was achieved by World indoor silver medalist 2006 in relay Monica Hargrove who improved to 51.00 PB at 400 m. Collegian Valerie Brown also improved hugely to 51.66 as second. Fast times also in men´s 400 m as Jamaal Torrance got 45.31 ahead of Calvin Smith (45.32) and jumper Christian Taylor (world youth champion 2007 in Triple Jump) who sensationally clocked 45.34 as third and is still a junior this year. Taylor also started the winning 4×200 m relay of Florida followed by Wilks, Hall and C. Smith to a final time of 1:21.68, the fastest of the year. On the women side South Florida Elite achieved 1:30.43. Dominique Darden won the 400 m Hurdles in 56.37 and World Youth Champion 2007 William Wynne improved his last year PB in men section beeing still a junior to 49.67 ahead of Johnny Dutch (49.79). In 100 m races former long jump world champion Tianna Madison was the fastest woman achieving 11.25 (but +4.2) and Chris Lawson with 10.33 (-0.3) in men section.
AUSTIN (USA, Apr 3): New world leading 100 m time for 20 years old Jamaican Samantha Henry at 82nd Texas Relays with 11.21 (+1.6) in the heats. NCAA Champion Destinee Hooker cleared also outdoor world leading 192 in High Jump in her second try. Panamian Alonso Edwards was the fastest in men´s 100 m heats in college section 10.37 (+1.9) and Trey Harts with the same time in the university section (+1.2). Jeomi Maduka leaped to 655 (+1.2) in women long jump and Reindell Cole to 786 (+2.6) in men competition. World class decathlete Trey Hardee got 731 (+0.4) in his jumping test.
TUCSON (USA, Apr 3): Liz Roehrig improved her heptathlon best at Click Meet by 2 points to 5857 (14.09-181-13.84-24.78-593-37.93-2:25.19).
LOS ANGELES (USA, Apr 3): Olympic trials winner Jessica Cosby came close to her PB at UCLA Invitational first day with 70.54 m in hammer. Her best from 2006 is 70.78 m.
NAKURU (KEN, Apr 3): World class runner Daniel Komen Kipchirchir, set Nakuru’s Afraha Stadium track alive when he registered the fastest time in the race as the Athletics Kenya third weekend meeting started on Friday. He clocked 3:44.3 ahead of Bethwel Birgen of Administration Police, who clocked 3:44.6. Beijing Olympics silver medalist, Asbel Kirop, who won the second edition of the meeting in Nyeri, was in a class of his own when he easily won his heat after stopping the clock at 3:47.4. Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist, Richard Maelong, of Kenya Police, found the going tough as his attempts to win the second heat of the 5000 metres flopped after he pulled out in the seventh lap. In the women’s 10,000m final, Monica Wangare of Kenya Police, the winner in Nyeri, maintained her winning streak after clocking 32:47.0. The Nation informs.
ADELAIDE (AUS, Apr 3): Victorian Daniel Martin (18) has broken the Australian under 20 record in the 110m hurdles (all looks like men height of the hurdles) on day one of the Under 20/23 Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide. Martin stormed home in a new personal best time of 13.60 (w:-0.6) to eclipse the previous record of 13.5 (handtimed, 13.74 electronic equivalent) set by Don Wright in Brisbane in October, 1977. Martin shaved 0.33 off his previous best mark of 13.93 (w:0.2) set in Sydney in February, 2008, to better Wright’s 32-year-old mark and claim the under 20 national title within world championships B-qualifying time. Ineligible for world youth selection, senior national pole vault champion Blake Lucas added the national under 20 title to his burgeoning list of accolades but fell short of posting a sixth straight personal best height. Lucas, who claimed the open national title in Brisbane last month with a leap of 5.45m then bettered that effort with a jump of 5.55m in Melbourne just days later, cleared 520m to take the junior title.
KINGSTON (JAM, Apr 3): The 100 m finals were at center-stage of third day during Jamaican Boys and Girls Championships. World junior champion Dexter Lee won the class 1 100 m in 10.31 (+0.1) ahead of Nickel Ashmeade (10.37). The name to watch is the winner of class 2 the 15-years old Jazeel Murphy who improved to excellent 10.44 (0.0). In the U14 class 3 the winning Kaneil Harrison got 11.10 (-0.2). World junior silver winner Carrie Russell was as expected the girls class 1 winner in 11.37 (+0.1) beating Jura Levy (11.42). In U17 class 2 Deandre Whitehorne clocked 11.54 (0.0) to win. Ohseen Erskine was the fastest girl in class 3 (U15) in 11.98 and Dianna Johnson in class 4 (U13) with excellent 11.90 (+0.2). But also other three marks to note, Nikita Tracey won the girls 400 m Hurdles in good quality 57.41. New meet record for Kemoy Campbell at 1500 m in 3:48.43 and Ashinia Miller in girls shot put 17.41 m.
MURJANI (LAT, Apr 3): Arnis Rumbenieks won the Latvian 20 000 m track walking title with 1:24:24.9 time. Agnese Pastare achieved in women 10 000 m 48:29.6 to win and best junior Gerards Cmiznikovs clocked 44:34.5.
Special thanks to Alfons Juck, EME News.
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