2011 AREVA Paris: Robles VS. Oliver, by Larry Eder

Dayron Robles, 2011 FBK Hengelo, photo by PhotoRun.net

David Oliver, 2011 Nike Pre, photo by PhotoRun.net

Mujinga Kambundji joins sister Ditaji Kambundji on brand On’s global athletics roster!

NIKE presents #TheJourneytoCompete, A NIKE Track & Field newsletter, celebrating cross-country, and Indoor Track & Field, Issues, 1-19, Back Issues, Winter 2026

#TheJourneytoCompete: Episode 3, featuring Watzata Girls XC Team, the winners of the 2026 NIKE Cross Nationals, Girls Team!

The AREVA Paris meeting has many great match-ups, but none, in my mind, better than Dayron Robles of Cuba, personal best of 12.87, and David Oliver of the US, personal best of 12.89.

Robles, the 2008 Olympic champion, and Oliver the best hurdler of 2010, are two of the most competitive athletes on the circuit. They have complete respect for each other, knowing that a bit of over confidence can destroy their race.

Both have come back from injuries, as the 110 meter hurdles is a very technical event, and extremely tough on the body. Pushing oneself to the extremes that a hurdler does, week in and week out, does affect the body. That quest for perfection, for the that perfect race is what keeps athletes at this level running.

” I am working on my fitness, and my racing. David is running very fast times, and I need to be able to race that fast.” noted Dayron Robles.

‘Well, Dayron has run 8 times under 13 seconds in one season. I respect him and know that if I make a mistake, he will be all over me.” noted David Oliver.

The race tomorrow should be superb. The race in seven weeks, in Daegu, Korea, with Dayron Robles, Liu Xiang and David Oliver could be the best competition of the World Champs!

As these hurdlers realize, it is all about the competition!

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

View all posts