World Champs 2013: A Little Old School, A Little New School

“It ain’t old school or new school, it’s true school.” –Talib Kweli

 

In the hurdle events at the 2013 Track & Field World Championships in Moscow this past August, we learned a lot. We learned that experience is a huge key to success, except when it’s not. We learned that young legs always beat old legs, except when they don’t. We learned that if you’ve been having a good season heading into the championships, you’re probably going to have a good championships. We learned that if you’ve been struggling heading into the championships, you’re probably going to struggle at the championships.

 

The biggest lesson I learned is that if your cable carrier doesn’t carry Universal Sports, you can’t see jack until after the fact. But we’ll leave that alone for now.

 

Let’s take a look at the hurdle events at the 2013 World Championships, event by event, and break down the things we saw.

 

Men’s 110m High Hurdles

The World Championships definitely showed the depth of American hurdling. Even with defending world champion Jason Richardson and 2012 Olympic champion Aries Merritt finishing out of the medals, the US still garnered the top two spots as veterans David Oliver and Ryan Wilson – both members of the 30-and-over age group – finished 1-2, in 13.00 and 13.13, respectively. The men’s 110’s are a glowing bright spot for the US, as the men’s 100 meter dash is being dominated by the Jamaicans with increasing regularity. Consider that, even without Yohan Blake and Asafa Powell present at these championships, the Jamaicans still won four of the top five spots in the 100, with silver medalist Justin Gatlin being the sole American to break up the sweep. Meanwhile, in the 110’s, it was the US that earned four of the top six spots. So it’s good to see that after struggling to retain its supremacy after the retirement of Allen Johnson and the emergence of Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles, America is back to leading the way over the high hurdles.

 

Oliver, who has battled with injury since his 2010 season for the ages (when he went undefeated and ran several sub-13 races, including a world-leading 12.89), was having a very solid, consistent 2013 heading into the World Championships, even though he hadn’t won every race he’d entered and he hadn’t run sub-13. But, time-wise, it’s been a down year in the 110’s, for whatever reason, as no one has dipped under 13.

 

Oliver looked strong and confident through the rounds, coming through with the fastest prelim time (13.05) before being edged at the line by Russian Sergey Shubenkov in their semi-final heat (13.17-13.18). Wilson, who ran in the same semi-final heat, finished 3^rd in 13.20, and seemed primed for a good final as well.

 

The other favorites to medal were Richardson and Merritt. Richardson as defending champion and because he won the first semi-final heat, and Merritt as Olympic champion and strength of reputation. Richardson finished in 13.34, while Merritt finished 3^rd, a tenth behind in 13.44. Neither looked particularly sharp. The first five finishers of the second heat ran faster or as fast as Richardson.

 

In the final, Oliver got out of the blocks with one of the best starts he’s ever had since switching to seven-stepping a few years ago. After establishing an early lead, he ran a clean, consistent race and pretty much dominated.

 

Over the years, many observers have compared Oliver to 1984 and 1988 Olympic champion Roger Kingdom because of their similar builds, similar styles, and similar tendency to hit a lot of hurdles. The comparison can be taken a step further, as this finals race revealed. Both Kingdom and Oliver grew more technically efficient later in their careers, and, in their best races, they did not hit a lot of hurdles. Oliver’s trail leg is looking a lot tighter than it has in the past, which is why, it seems to me, he finished so strongly over the last three hurdles, with no mechanical mistakes.

 

Overall, you’ve gotta feel good for D.O. He’s had his share of struggles and disappointments in major championships over the years, but he has never made excuses, never expressed any bitterness, and has always kept this whole track thing in its proper perspective. After the race, instead of talking about redemption and the thrill of victory, he talked about his mom, who qualified for the 1980 Olympic team but didn’t compete in the Games due to the US boycott. “Every race is always dedicated to my mom,” he said. “She is my biggest supporter and my backbone. And here she is in the stadium, so there is just nothing better.”

 

Wilson, meanwhile, has flown under the radar for years while other hurdlers have grabbed the glory. Even when he won the US Championships in June, the reaction of most people was “Say what?” as opposed to “Oh yeah, no doubt.” In the finals here, he was relegated to lane nine even though he had the third-fastest semi-final time. To earn a silver medal from way over there, where you feel like you’re running in a separate time zone, is no small feat. While Merritt and Richardson were making mistakes to his left, Wilson stayed focused, kept his rhythm, and seemed to close the gap a little bit on D.O. near the end.

 

Richardson, despite his troubles, made a late surge and seemed primed to claim the bronze. But then he smacked the last hurdle with his lead leg, stumbled a bit, and had to settle for fourth behind Shubenkov, whose 13.24 was slower than his semi-final race, but good enough to medal. Merritt, a year after earning Olympic gold in 12.94 and then smashing the world record with a monster 12.80, wound up sixth, behind fifth-place finisher William Sharman of Great Britain, in a pedestrian 13.31. As Merritt put it himself, “In a hurdle race, if you hit hurdles you don’t win. Last year was the perfect year. I didn’t hit any hurdles, I was flawless. This time I made mistakes and I’m not the champion.”

 

The setbacks suffered by Richardson and Merritt, the fact that Oliver didn’t win a major championship until so late in his career, and the absence of Liu and Robles from this meet make you appreciate just how demanding the 110 hurdles are, and it makes you appreciate the Greg Fosters, Colin Jacksons, and Allen Johnsons of eras past, who were able to get to the top and stay at or near the top year after year for over a decade.

 

 

Oliver celebrates his first-ever gold medal at a major championship.

 

Women’s 100 Meter Hurdles

If the men’s race was a triumph for the old school, then the women’s race proved to be a triumph for the new school. Brianna Rollins of the United States, who had come off an NCAA championship while running for Clemson University two months earlier, took the gold over big-named veterans like defending world champion Dawn Harper of the US and 2012 Olympic champion Sally Pearson of Australia. Rollins’ rise to the top of the women’s hurdling world has been swift and sure in 2013. I remember watching her win the ACC championship with a 12.87 in late April and thinking to myself, that girl can really run the hurdles. But if you had told me back then that she would go on defeat the likes of Pearson and Harper prior to year’s end, I would’ve said, “Nah bruh, she ain’t ready for them yet.”

 

But since that meet she continued to drop time in just about every race she entered. After dominating the collegians at the regional and national meets (including a new collegiate record 12.39 at nationals), she continued her meteoric rise at the US Champs in late June, where she blazed to a new US record of 12.26. Wow.

 

Heading into the World Championships Rollins was looking like the clear favorite to win the gold. She was the world leader by a country mile. And Pearson, who was rounding into shape after healing from injury, had yet to duplicate the kinds of times that she had run in 2012. Still, with Pearson and Harper – along with US teammates Queen Harrison and Nia Ali (both of whom ran sub-12.50 at the US Champs) – awaiting her in Moscow, nothing was guaranteed. While Pearson was not having the kind of season that had made her hurdling royalty in 2012, her speed and exceptional technical prowess made her a major threat.

 

Let me add as a side note that the US in 2013 was just as deep in the women’s hurdles as in the men’s. Neither Kellie Wells nor Lolo Jones – two Olympians from 2012 – made the World Championship team, even though both ran very fast races at the US Nationals (12.54 and 12.55, respectively – times that would have earned them a place on the podium in Moscow).

 

So besides the stiff competition, Rollins was also facing the fact that she nearing the end of a very long season. After competing indoors and outdoors collegiately and piling up the races that come with the collegiate schedule, would her legs simply turn to jelly by mid-August?

 

Short answer: no. In the prelims at Moscow, Rollins jogged to a 12.55 to easily win her heat. Pearson also looked good, winning her heat in 12.62. Tiffany Porter of Great Britain was another heat winner who impressed, clocking a 12.72. Harper finished third in that same heat in 12.84.

 

In the semis, Rollins was chillin’ again, winning her heat by a very comfortable margin with a 12.54. But Pearson had the fastest semi-final time – 12.50 into a -0.7 headwind. Porter was the other heat winner in 12.63. It was becoming clear that Rollins and Pearson would be battling for the gold while Porter, Harper, and Harrison would most likely be battling for the third medal spot.

 

In the final, Pearson and Rollins were lined up side-by-side in lanes six and seven, with Pearson to Rollins’ left. Pearson had her typically explosive start and took a commanding lead. Rollins, Porter, and Harper were bunched together behind her.

 

Usually, when Pearson takes control of a race like that, it’s game over for the rest of the field. But Rollins ran a very patient, confident race. Coaches always preach, “focus on your lane,” and that’s what Rollins did. Instead of chasing Pearson and making a mistake, she kept her rhythm, quickened her cadence, and gradually made up the ground. “I didn’t panic when I had such a bad start,” she said afterward, “I just continued to focus on my own ten hurdles, and just try to finish the race strong.” While Rollins is not the technical wizard that Pearson is, she does consistently make a remarkable transition from hurdling position on top of the hurdle to sprinting position as she descends. In other words, Rollins wastes no time in the air. In this race, it seemed like she made up the bulk of the ground on the ground, as Pearson was equally efficient over the hurdles.

 

By hurdle seven or eight (depending on which angle you view it from), Rollins pulled even with Pearson, and by hurdle ten she had gained a visible lead that she carried through the finish line. Rollins’ 12.44 and Pearson’s 12.50 were relatively slow for both of them, but when considering the -0.6 wind, the times weren’t so slow at all. Porter won the battle for the bronze as Harper, who described her race as “horrible” but seemed to run a sound race technically, lacked the foot speed that we had grown accustomed to seeing from her in the past.

 

It’ll be interesting to see where the event goes from here. I’m sure that Rollins and Pearson will continue their battles, as both are in the prime of their careers.

 

 

Rollins edges Pearson for the gold.

 

Men’s 400m Hurdles

This event featured basically a who’s who of the 400 meter hurdles over the past ten years. You had 2005 world champ and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson of the US. Then you had two-time world champion and 2008 Olympic silver medalist Kerron Clement, also of the US. Then there was old-timer Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, who won his first world championship way back in 2003, and most recently won his second of two Olympic gold medals in 2012. To all of them add two-time WC silver medalist and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Javier Culson of Puerto Rico. So without a doubt, this was shaping up to be one of the most dynamic events of the Championships.

 

But wait, I forgot a couple dudes. Jehue Gordon of Trinidad, who, although only 21, was a veteran in his own right, having burst on the scene as a 17 year old, finishing fourth at the 2009 World Championships in 48.26. And another American, Michael Tinsley, who was coming fresh off a national championship, not to mention a silver medal finish at the 2012 Olympic Games.

 

Heading into the Championships, it was hard to tell who would finish where. Clement and Jackson were both having down years, although both mustered up the will to make the US team at the national championships. Culson too was looking less sharp than in past years, alathough he did run a 48.14 in Lausanne. Gordon had run only one sub-49 prior to the championships, albeit a big one – 48.00 in Monaco in July. Tinsley, while a veteran of international competition, was new to this level of success. But he was definitely having the best season of anyone, having run sub-48 twice – at the US Championships and in London’s Diamond League meet.

 

In the first round in Moscow, things went pretty much according to plan, as all the major players made it to the semis with little to no problem. The only concern was that Jackson mentioned a twinge in his hamstring that had given him a little trouble, but he expressed confidence that he could battle through it.

 

Jackson ran in lane eight of the first semi final heat. He got out well and looked great. But after clearing the second hurdle he reached back and grabbed the hamstring of his trail leg before falling to the ground. Which meant that one of the main contenders for the gold medal wouldn’t even make it to the final.

 

The heat was won by Gordon in 48.10, with Culson in second in 48.42. Tinsley won the second semi-final in 48.31, while Omar Cisneros of Cuba won the third semi in a world leading 47.93. Sanchez came in behind Cisneros in 48.10, with Clement right behind him in 48.21. Also worthy of note was Emir Bekric of Serbia, who finished second in Tinsley’s heat with a personal best and national record of 48.36.

 

The final was electrifying. Tinsley stormed out of the blocks and took a noticeable lead over the first few hurdles. But the rest of the pack stayed steady and gained ground. By hurdle seven, Tinsley, Cisneros, Culson, Bekric, and Gordon were all clearing the hurdle at almost the exact same time, and Sanchez was furiously trying to get back into the mix. By hurdle eight, Gordon and Tinsley had created some separation, with Tinsley holding a slight advantage.

 

Between hurdles nine and ten, Gordon made up Tinsley’s slight advantage, and coming off the last hurdle, the two of them ran stride for stride to the finish line. It came down to a lean, and Gordon was declared the victor by one hundredth of a second – 47.69 to 47.70. The Serbian Bekric made a mad dash off the last hurdle to claim the bronze in another personal best and national record of 48.05, leaving Cisneros, Culson, and Sanchez out of the medals. Clement, who had a bad race from start to finish, ended up a disappointing eighth.

 

In looking at the slow motion replay, it looks like Tinsley leaned just a tad too soon. But give Gordon credit. He ran a phenomenal second half of the race, clearing the last two hurdles in perfect rhythm while alternating lead legs and 14-stepping with such efficiency that the casual observer couldn’t even tell he was switching legs.

 

So, in an event full of athletes with big names and long lists of achievements, it was the young Trinidadian who came away with the gold. Which goes to show that, in an event as rich with talent as the men’s 400 meter hurdles, you never know what’s going to happen until the gun goes off.

 

Gordon and Tinsley dive for the finish line. Both leaned so hard that they fell.

 

Women’s 400m Hurdles

Like the men’s race, the women’s 400m hurdles is a hard race to predict, but for entirely different reasons. While the men’s race features a group of athletes with long lists of accolades over a decade or more, the women’s race in recent history has tended to be one in which new faces appear and rise to the surface while others who had risen to the top fade to the background. American Lashinda Demus has been the one constant over the past eight years or so, always in the mix for a medal at major championships.

 

The big names heading into the 2013 World Championships included defending champion Demus, 2012 Olympic champion Natalya Antyukh of Russia, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic, 4^th-place 2012 Olympic finisher Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica, and young Americans Dalilah Muhammad and Georganne Moline, who finished 1-2 at the US Championships in June.

 

Unfortunately, two medal favorites didn’t make it out of the first heat of the first round. Spencer was disqualified for hooking hurdle two, while Moline stumbled and fell off of hurdle seven, apparently catching it a bit with the toe of her trail leg. She got back up and finished, but far behind the rest of the pack, nowhere near close to qualifying for the semi-final round.

 

As for the Spencer DQ, it’s one of those things that is very aggravating, but about which I find myself torn. On the one hand, rules are rules, and if she broke the rule, then she has to suffer the consequences, or else there’s no point in having the rule. You don’t want hurdlers out there blatantly hooking, knowing that the rule won’t be enforced. That takes away from the integrity of the event. Her coaches did file a protest, and the disqualification was upheld. So, fair is fair.

 

But damn. She ran a 54.11, jogging the entire homestretch, almost walking across the finish line, and not another competitor was anywhere near her. Whether she hooked or not, it didn’t make the difference between victory or defeat, between making the next round or not making the next round. In the video that I saw, the camera moves away from her as she sprints between hurdles one and two, then comes back to where she is visible just as she is clearing hurdle two. It’s evident that she cleared that hurdle with her right lead leg, which means the trail leg definitely could’ve hooked.

 

Still, as a fan, I want to see the fastest eight women in the final, which meant Spencer should have been there. As a coach, I’ve had the same thing happen to an athlete of mine, at a very big meet, and I know it made me feel like I was the one who had messed up. I should’ve checked it in practice. The officials get paid to officiate; they don’t get paid to just stand there. So if they see a violation, they’re gonna call the violation, without regard for emotional, subjective context.

 

The winner of heat one was Denisa Rosolova of the Czech Republic. Other heat winners were Hejnova, Perri Shakes-Drayton of Great Britain, and Muhammad. Demus and Antyukh also qualified for the semis.

 

Hejnova and Shakes-Drayton were the two heat winners in the semis, and both looked very strong, finishing in 53.52 and 53.92, respectively. No one else ran under 54.00. But Muhammad and Demus both qualified easily, so it was looking like these four athletes would fight for the three medals. Antyukh, meanwhile, did not qualify for the final, finishing sixth in the second semi-final heat.

 

In the final, Demus got out very well, and was looking primed to grab the gold. Muhammad was also looking strong, while Hejnova was biding her time. By hurdle five Demus was still holding the lead, but Hejnova was coming on strong. By hurdle seven, the two Americans and Hejnova were in a virtual three-way tie for the lead.

 

Into and off of hurdle eight, Hejnova took over. She passed Muhammad heading into hurdle eight, cleared hurdle eight side-by-side with Demus, and pulled away from there. She looked strong, powerful, and graceful coming down the homestretch. She sixteen-stepped the last two hurdles in perfect rhythm, extending her lead with every step. She crossed the line in a very fast, very impressive personal best 52.83.

 

Coming off the last hurdle, Muhammad held her running form better than Demus and passed her for the silver in 54.09 to Demus’ 54.27. To me, it looked like hurdle eight was Demus’ undoing. She successfully maintained her 15-step stride pattern, but she noticeably extended her stride in order to do so, lost momentum as she took off into the hurdle, and exerted a lot of energy getting up and over it. By the time she landed, Hejnova was rolling past her. And as any 400 hurdler can tell you, once you’ve lost your momentum, there’s no getting it back.

 

Congrats to Hejnova for putting together a great race in which she exhibited patience early and remarkable finishing strength at the end.

 

Hejnova pulls away from Demus on her way to a gold medal.

Final Thoughts

All in all, it was a very exciting World Championships in the hurdling events. The emergence of Rollins as an international superstar was probably the highlight of the meet from a hurdle perspective. Oliver winning his first major championship gold medal was the most heartwarming moment, while Gordon’s victory over Tinsley was the most thrilling, and Hejnova’s performance was the most dominant. Congratulations to all hurdlers who competed in Moscow.

 

Links to Youtube Footage of Hurdle Finals, from the UsainBoltMW2 Channel:

• Men’s 110m hurdle final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXNWDWXJMxE
• Women’s 100m hurdle final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oe-4610gW0
• Men’s 400m hurdle final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuQfELoZ9fo
• Women’s 400m hurdle final: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQwPJDYYl2Q

Notes

• All athlete quotes are from www.usatf.org.
• All photos are from www.zimbio.com.