Mondo Duplantis, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
Mondo Duplantis is an amazing athlete. He is a fascinating conundrum. Allowed to be a young person, and allowed and encouraged to do something that he loves to do.
Tuesday is a relaxed day, and keep it that way. M,W, and Friday are your tough days.
The Men's 3000m, 2020 NYRR Millrose, photo by Cortney White
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020: Easy 45 minutes, 6 x 150 m strideouts
The sixth meeting of the World Indoor Tour should be alot of fun to watch. Stuart Weir will be covering the meeting for @runblogrun. We look forward to the meeting on the 19 Feb!
Wayde van Niekerk will make his long awaited return to the track at an inter-res Kovsies meeting in Bloemfontein tonight. He's running on a grass track and it's an unofficial meeting, but if his knee holds up in a race, that'll be great news for SA's Olympic medal hopes https://t.co/wYeB6N4jcm
-- Wesley Botton (@wesbotton) February 17, 2020
A hand timed 100m and an 800m on the grass give Wayde Van Niekerk some positive signs. Wayde Van Niekerk was the finest 400m in the world, and is the world record holder. What can he do? This will be a closely watched story in 2020. We have enjoyed the fine South African athlete and wish him the very best on his road to fitness.
Donavan Brazier was given a task by his coach, Pete Julian. Coach Julian wanted Donavan to go out slow, and fly over the last 400m. So, that is exactly what Donavan Brazier did. His first 400m was a 53 split, and his second was run in 51.18! Brazier normally leads, and this time, he took off past Bryce Hoppel, with 200m to go, using a final furlong of 24.59 to break his own AR of 1:44.41. Brazier ran 1:44.22, a new AR.
Brazier had finished his short indoor season. Without a World Indoor Championships, Coach Julian took his athletes back to the training track and refocused them on the big prize, Tokyo 2020.
We congratulate Donavan on his new AR and look forward to seeing him race later in 2020.
Donavan Brazier, photo by Cortney White
Kibiwot Kandie wins Sao Salvestre, photo from You Tube
Sheila Chelangat, photo by Jonah Onyango (Standard)
Justin Lagat wrote this piece on ther Kenyan CC champs, and updated us on the new winners, and the confusion near the finish in the men's senior race.
Mondo Duplantis has now set 2 World records in one week. His first, in Torun, Poland, in 6.17m, exhilerated the fans. Mondo had teased the world of athletics with his three attempts at 6.17m in Dusseldorf on 4 Feb.
In this podcast, we celebrate the importance of the world record, the joy that Mondo brings to the sport, and the excitement of the pole vault. I love doing podcast, because it allows me to consider the athlete or the event.
Mondo had cleared 5.52m, 5.72 meters, 5.92 meters, and 6.01 meters before attemptring the world-record height of 6.17 meters.
Consider this: Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.17m on his sixth jump of the day, and second attempt at 6.17m. Most of us think that he cleared the 6.17m by at least 5 cm!
Special thanks to Mike Deering of the Shoe Addicts for producing this podcast.
We loved this art work, posted on the LSU site (we believe it was done by Aaron Hernandez)
Malaika Mihambo, photo by ISTAF INDOOR / Camera 4
ISTAF is one of the most creative management groups in athletics. They put on the oldest continuous athletic meeting (75 years) at the Olympic stadium in Berlin, which attracts over 70,000 fans each summer. Now, indoors, ISTAF indoor Berlin has the largest indoor meeting of the year, 12,500 fans going to the meeting. In 2021, ISTAF will add a second indoor meeting. We hope to have both meets on our indoor visits in 2021.
Malaika Mihambo leaped 7.07m at the ISTAF indoor Berlin! The 2018 European champion/2019 WC, Mihambo is the finest jumper of her generation, has the speed, technique and focus to take the LJ into the stratosphere.
The hill work that you do now, in February, will help you race better in April and May. Stay focused on the goals.
Elle Purrier, Millrose 2020, photo by Cortney White
Monday Feb 17, 2020 : Hilly run, 50 minutes, include 10 uphill runs of 2 minutes each, cooldown
Thank you Running for loving me back 🥰❤️💋 Sub15 again feels good (📸 @Justin_Britton 🙏 ) #TeamNB #ValetinesDay #indoortrack #5k pic.twitter.com/DC7Q7SaBlO
-- Jenny Simpson (@trackjenny) February 15, 2020
Let me put it this way. Jenny Simpson in a WC or Olympic final is a total racer. She does not have a weak spot in her game. If she moves up to 5000m, she will be a medal contender. She has one or two more tricks to show in the big races. Looking forward to see her at 12.5 laps outdoors.