Nick Willis winning the Rbk mile in 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
In a wide ranging series of interviews, it was quite obvious that the Reebok Boston Indoor Games 2010, like the fourteen that have preceeded it, will be a barn burner. Three hours of great competitions, and three hours with some amazing athletes showing their stuff. RBR spoke to Bernard Lagat, Nick Willis, Anna Willard Pierce and Tirunesh Dibaba at today's Press Conference. Here is what they had to say. One thing, do not be surprised if Nick Willis, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist at 1,500 meters, runs a bit faster than the 3:53.43 mile he ran last year!
Tomorrow is the fifteenth annual Reebok Boston Indoor Games. Per Toni Reavis, the voice of the Rbk press conferences, there have been five world indoor records set in the Rbk BIG and 150 national records!
Anna Pierce winning the Rbk NYC Grand Prix, May 2009,
photo by PhotoRun.net.
" I think it is kind of a homecoming, my whole family gets to watch this, " noted Anna Pierce (formerly Willard), the 800 meter find of 2009. Pierce is from the Boston area. She is located in Mammouth, California, where she trains with Morgan Uceny, one of the top US 800/1500 meter types.
Bernard Lagat, winning at Nike Pre, June 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
For Bernard Lagat, " I am still excited from Millrose Games last week. " In case you were living in your basement last week, Bernard Lagat set a new indoor Millrose record for winning eight Millrose miles, surpassing Eamonn Coglan, the "Chairman of the Boards". Lagat, showing his class on the track as well as off, asked to be called the President of the boards, in order to show respect to Eamonn Coghlan, and his importance to indoor track & field. " I wanted Eamonn to retain that chairmanship."
Nick Willis running RBK BIG, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Nick Willis, the Olympic silver medalist at 1,500 meters from New Zealnd, " I had a tough early 2009, had hip surgery in May, and by August was training well. Instead of racing, my coach and I decided to train well over the New Zealand summer and see what kind of shape I am in. I would like to run faster in the mile than I did here last year (that was 3:53.43 in 2009!).
Anna Pierce told the media that she wanted to run faster at 800 meters and 1,500 m, and that she saw, "five or six women in the U.S. capable of running fast." Anna noted that Morgan Uceny, her training partner, " is beating me in practice, this should be a great year for her..." Anna made it clear that she should be in the fight for the 800 and 1,500 meters.
Nick Willis made some comments about the Commonwealth Games. " It has been in my plan for a long time. The standards are very high, and it was the last time (1974, Christchurch, New Zealand), that a world record for the mile/1,500 was set for men, without a rabbit (Filbert Bayi won, breaking record of Jim Ryun, as did John Walker and Rod Dixon followed. In fact, Nick Willis broke John Walkers' NZ record from that race in 2005, 31 years after the record was set.
Willis was also recently notified that he would be receiving an upgrade to an Olympic silver medal, as Rashid Rhamzi , due to his positive drug test for CERA (think, blood doping). Willis wanted to make clear that he got to experience winning his bronze medal, and it is much different than Mehdi Baala of France, who was fourth, or Asbel Kiprop, who knew that there was a runner in front of them. "What motivation is added when there is only one runner in front of you, instead of several?"
Nick Willis noted that his coach had told him last night, " Get away from the rail! Don't run inside!" Willis smiled, but is is pretty obvious that he wants to run very, very fast!
Bernard Lagat & Nick Willis, Millrose 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Bernard Lagat, talked about the training for 5,000 m and how this is his first indoors, " I would like to run as fast as Stuttgart (13:02.95) last week, but I think we can run 13:18 or better. It is very long, 26 laps (on the 200 meter Mondo track). We could run very fast, with an early even pace."
Anna Pierce did not say she would go for the American record for 1,000 meters (2:34.4). " I love the 800 meters. I was really nervous before the Reebok Grand Prix (now adidas GP NYC). My training had been going well. I think that we have alot of fast runners out there, in the U.S., and think that both the 800 and 1,500 women's records could both be challenged this year."
Tirunesh Dibaba, Olympic 5,000m, August 2008, photo by Photorun.net.
Tirunesh Dibaba is running the women's 5,000 meters on Saturday night. " The crowd, especially, the Ethiopians, make the track very exciting! I like the crowd, and I have broken world records here, and I hope to run very well...I ran in Edinburgh (Scotland) several weeks ago, in the snow, and was prepared and ran well...I will be running at the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, and am considering running the World Cross Country!"
Tirunesh pushing the pace, RBK BIG, 2009, photo by PhotoRun.net.
Bernard Lagat, Nick Willis, Tirunesh Dibaba and Anna Pierce are four of the potential highights on what should be a superb meet on Saturday night at the Reggie Lewis Center. The meet starts at 5.10 pm and ends less than three hours later! What will be the great races? Who will have the great clashes? We will know tomorrow night! (Remember, for those who can not attend, the meet will be on ESPN2 on Sunday, from 2 pm to 4 pm EST!). For those of you close by, get over early, as there are a few tickets remaining.
Nick Willis, Olympic 1,500m medalist, Beijing 2008, photo by PhotoRun.net.
For more on the meet, please check at www.reebokbostonindoorgames.com.
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