by Larry EderJeremy Wariner did exactly what he planned to do in Osaka, Japan-win the world championships 400 meter final and run on the gold winning 4 x 400 meter relay team. He looked and ran so well that people were underwhelmed…wrong reaction!
Jeremy Wariner is human. He showed it this entire season and last! As he worked on his leg speed and ran 200 meter races, Jeremy put himself in a position that most did not see him in-one that had him chasing others for fast times over 200 meters. While Clyde Hart, his coach and Jeremy were all business in discussing the 200 meter races, that sly old fox Coach Hart was doing something else, I believe. Clyde Hart was making Jeremy Wariner hungry.
Consider this for a moment. Jeremy Wariner is the best 400 meter runner in the world, bar none. He used his God given talent, lots of hard work, and great focus to have won two world championships, one Olympic championships and relays galore. His control of the 400 meters is such that, with 80 meters to go in most races, Jeremy Wariner races against the clock and his level of fitness. Don’t believe me? Watch how galliantly La Shawn Merrit went after Jeremy up to about 50 meters out in Osaka, before collapsing, and running 43.96–with Wariner running 43.46.
With his superiority over 400 meters, Clyde Hart knows that a little speed work can help Jeremy over the 400 meters, so he had him race the 200 meters alot over the past two seasons. The side benefit is that Jeremy was getting dusted over 200 meters.
Wariner is, if not anything else, competitive. He shows his competition respect, but he takes no quarter and ask no quarter. He thrives on the competition. In May, Wariner ran 44.03 in Osaka, the fastest time ever run in the month of May.
In July, Jeremy had a rough race in Sheffield, where the rain came, and he did not hear the gun-he had thought that there was a false start. Three weeks later, in Stockhom, at the DN Galen Games, Jeremy Wariner ran 43.50 unopposed. That ws the third best performance, ever in the history of the event!
In Osaka, Japan, Jeremy got through the rounds unscathed and took the field on an excursion during the final, running 43.46, the new third best performance of all times! Wariner looks positioned to be the next World record holder. It is only a matter of time.
