Stumbled on this picture today while searching the internet for something in preparation for my talks this week. This is Kip Kieno and I think Peka Vasala from the early 70's, may actually have been 72 Olympic games. Regardless this picture speaks a thousand words. You don't get this from doing drills, you get this from running fast!Look at this from the PAL Paradigm.P = PostureA = Arm ActionL = [...]

For the third installment in this blog series I want to discuss not something directly related to China per se, but more a connection that I made as a result of the trip. Joining me at the throws conference in Beijing were two legendary figures of German track and field: Karl-Heinz Steinmetz and Rolf Danneberg. Karl-Heinz is the former coach of Rolf as well as the man who is arguably the greatest [...]

I wanted to make my first ELITETRACK blog a memorable one and it certainly was that for me. I interviewed someone who has become a good friend of mine, Kerron Clement. For those who don't know much about Kerron, he is the current 400 hurdles World Champion and Silver medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, he is also the indoor 400m world record holder. His personal records include 10.23 (100m), [...]

As time went on, we found different supplements to be more valuable than steroids....We found that using the whole complex of vitamin B could help add 3–4 meters to a throw. -Anatoly Bondarchuk No matter how glamorous something seems to be we must look at the context of the results. For example Bondarchuk has been used as an example of superior techniques but when we look more clearly at th [...]

No question that all information must be closely scrutinized; however, we must not forget that Bondarchuk has created more world champion and Olympic medalists than any coach, of any discipline, in the history of the Olympic games.- The Thinker23 Medals is a lot of hardware. Too bad it's half of what James "Doc" Counsilman did in the 60s and 70s for the sport of swimming. The above quote is ano [...]

The leader of USA Track & Field put out a statement that the popular press quickly latched onto that we would shoot to win 30 medals in 2012. When I saw it my immediate response was here we go again, a classic example of hope disguised as a plan. How naïve can you be. Each year track and field and other sports in this country move farther and farther away from any concept or idea of long term p [...]

This syndrome was identified by ESPN The Magazine reporter Tom Farrey in his excellent overview of the youth sport scene called “Game On – The All-American Race To Make Champions Of Our Children.” The myth of identifying them early, specializing early in a sport, and starting to train them young as a key to future success is a myth. By doing this we are hurting kids physically [...]

I saw this article on Joe Vigil. It certainly warmed my heart. I am privileged to have Joe as a mentor and and a friend. He is an amazing individual, a role model for all teachers and coaches.‘Dean of distance’ discusses OlympicsBy Mike Touzeau, Special to the Green Valley NewsThough he was impressed — as the rest of the world was — with the pageantry, what legendary dis [...]

KRAENZLEIN, ALVIN 1876-1928Track-and-field championHurdling InnovatorAlvin Kraenzlein is one of the pivotal figures in the development of track and field. Historians of the sport recognize him as the father of straight-lead-leg hurdling (in which the first leg over the hurdle is kept straight and parallel to the ground). Hurdlers continue to employ this technique, which permits the athlete to clea [...]

At this past Olympics, Jamaica put on a show. The tiny island with a population of less than 3 million people won more Olympic medals than every other country not named USA, Russia or Kenya. And when you consider the QUALITY of their medals, things are even more astounding. Consider these points:If we use the point system I described HERE, Jamaica (24 points) is actually the 3rd best track and fie [...]