BRITISH sprinter Marlon Devonish says he witnessed the ‘new breed of man’ when American Walter Dix recently posted the sixth fastest time in history in the 200m.
Few would have predicted that a relative unknown 19-year-old would shave close to half-a-second off of his personal best time in the NCAA competition which took place last month.
Devonish says Dix’s time of 19.69s as early as May is a indicator that come the World Championships later this year, the 200m could nick the limelight from the traditional Blue Riband 100m showdown. Talking to the Voice of Sport about Dix and the clutch of phenomenal times being set so early in the season Devonish said: "He’s 19 and he’s run 19.69. I watched the race on the internet and I thought, there is a new breed of man, Darwin was right.
“I remember watching Michael Johnson run the world record 19.32 second and I thought that would be there for a long time but if you have 19-year-olds running so quick so early where are they going to go from there. If you had asked me two years ago if that record was going to stay I would have said it would be there for a long time. But when guys are running as quick as they are so early in the season on any track in America, it would be rude of me not to suggest it could be broken.”
Dix isn’t the only sprinter to lay down such quick times so far this outdoor season. Jamaican Usain Bolt recently ran 19.96s in Trinidad, while American Tyson Gay opened up with 19.97s. The times are quick but Devonish believes that if he should get to a major final this year at the World Championships the man who holds his nerve will prosper.
He added: 'It’s been a while sine you could say that the 100m is far more competitive than the 100m. At the moment it looks like if you don’t run 19-point you are not going to medal.
“However you never know what could happen when you go to a championships because the pressure is intense and people don’t always deliver. It is hard and it’s no joke, people will choke, it’s that kind of environment.”
Published: 08 June 2007