Australian_Mens_Fitness_2016_08_

130 MEN’S FITNESS AUGUST 2016

Us a in B ol t

Superstar Jamaican sprinter, Olympic shoo-in

in Rio and reigning World’s Fastest Man.

INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL RODIO

One thing you can’t train without:

Spikes! They’re the most important piece of equipment

for a sprinter. Period.

Best training advice you’ve ever been given:

PeoplewhowatchmyracesknowthatasIamtall,mystart

is slower than that of the smaller athletes. A few years ago,

my coach told me to stop stressing about making my start

faster and run to my strengths. The 100m race is long, and

the winner is the one who crosses the inish line irst.

Hardest workout you’ve ever done:

We run sessions like6–8 x 300m in the winter to build

endurance. They are tough. Sprinters don’t usually like

such high-volume sessions. But it’s necessary to build

endurance during the pre-season.

Favourite off-season exercise:

I love playing soccer. I play left midield or striker with

friends who have an appreciation of my profession and

thankfully don’t tackle hard.

Perfect training meal:

At the moment I am eating a lot of protein and vegetables

andtryingtostayawayfromtoomanycarbsinorderto

get to my optimum racing weight. In competition season,

I focus more and more on my diet to give myself the best

chance to run fast when it really matters.

Favourite cheat meal:

Wings, man. Jerk, bufalo. All types! I love them.

Frustration or challenge you constantly battle with in training:

For elite sprinters, it is always training hard but staying

injury-free. We tend to walk the line. We really need to

watch the hamstrings, calves and Achilles, which all

get tight.

Favourite training soundtrack:

I like a lot of dance hall, reggae and hip-hop.

Point in your career, at any level, when you realised you

were special:

I think it all started in 2002, when I was 15 and I won the

World Junior Championships, a competition for under-20s.

It’s unusual for a 15-year-old to beat 19-year-olds.

Achievement you consider your greatest triumph and why:

Six Olympic gold medals, 11 world titles and eight world

records. They are all triumphs.

Worst thing that’s ever happened to you on the track:

I false-started at the 2011 World T&F Championships in

Daegu (South Korea) when I was the favourite to win.

Reason you chose your sport over others:

My dad encouraged me to participate in an individual

sport and saw that I was able to run fast. He said that

in an individual sport I would control my own outcome

and not be depending on others and politics in teams.

Qualities you consider the most important in a champion:

Being able to perform when it counts and coming back

to do it again and again.

Attributeyoumostvalueinacoachoradviser:

My coach, Glen Mills, is a guru. He has a deep knowledge

of the sport, but most of all, he teaches life lessons.

Bestpieceofwisdomyou’veeverreceived:

My parents brought me up to respect people no matter

who they are or where they come from.

Best piece of advice you’d give your younger self:

Work hard. Enjoy the moment.■

The Cooldown

“Away from the track, I

play soccer. Thankfully, my

friends don’t tackle hard.”

CATCHING UP WITH:

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