One of the toughest events in athletics is the 110 meter hurdles.
The high hurdles, as some call it, is a combination of sprinting skills and hurdling skills.
As Renaldo Nehemiah (first man under 13 seconds in hurdles, 8 WRS), a man who owned the WR for the 110 meter hurdles for ten years and nearly five months would tell you, ” the 110m hurdles is all about establishing a rhythm.”
Aries Merritt, photo by PhotoRun.net
Two of the wiliest veterans in the 110 meter hurdles are Aries Merritt and David Oliver. We had the opportunity to interview both Aries and David together.
Aries Merritt is the 2012 Olympic champion and WR holder in the 110m hurdles. David Oliver is the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, 2013 World Championship gold medalist and the former American record holder.
Listen to the interview when you can. It is interesting. Listen to their laughing and their candor, but also note their observational skills. Note how they respect each other.
David Oliver, photo by PhotoRun.net
I asked Aries Merritt to describe the best traits of David Oliver in the 110 meter hurdles. Merritt spoke about how strong David is on the last half of the race. I then asked David Oliver the same question regarding Aries Merritt and David noted that Aries’ trail leg is exceptional over the barriers.
David Oliver also said that, every time he races, he needs to be a world class performer and be ready to race, or he should not go out there.
It is the nature of elite athletes. And for 110 meter hurdlers, who compete in the most competitive event on the men’s schedule, respect is a big part of the game.
