lr1400
August 10, 2010, 2:57pm
29
There have been several sprinters who have shown a similar level of talent as Bolt. They didnt improve most likely because of poor coaching. Also something such as ‘talent’ is impossible to gauge objectively.
Who?
I think what youre trying to say is that Mills has been coaching Bolt since he was 14, which is not true. Bolt left him in his late teens because his performance was deteriorating instead of improving.
No I am not saying that. I am saying Mills has been coaching since Glen Mills was a 14 year old. Bolt was NOT coached by Mills as a teen and has so far NEVER left Mills, he left that guy and came to Mills after the 2004 Olympics.
Actually Usain was very confident in his interviews at the beginning of the season. His confidence decreased as the season went on until you have him now, saying that this is the year to beat him and that he’s taking it easy this year. Ill have to find the interviews to show you what I am talking about, but his whole demeanor in interviews seemed to change after his 3rd race of the year, which was a 200 somewhere in Asia. He also began showing visible frustrations with his performance at this same time which was coincidentally exactly around the same time Charlie passed.
He was saying that before the season started.
Blake is doing very well this year and he is progressing well. However, I never said that Mills program doesnt work and you have to admit there are worlds of difference between an athlete running 9.58 and 19.19 and an athlete running 9.93 and 19.78. What I did say was that I think Charlie was consulting with and providing guidance to a coach and an athlete that has reached levels no one has ever reached before and that when he passed and his guidance was no longer there, Mills and Bolt began struggling. It is certainly not implausible to suggest that one of the world’s most brilliant coaches, who is a known consultant to top athletes in many sports, would be cosulting with the top athlete in his(Charlie’s) bread and butter sport, the sprints. As T-Slow pointed out in his post, Charlie’s influence in Jamaica is already vast. But as was also pointed out, even if he was, no one who actually knew would ever admit to it, so I expect the answer to be no regardless. Another interesting bit of circumstantial evidence; Usain was in Toronto, ON in June of last year and ran a 100m race while there. Now Toronto is not exactly a large sporting venue, so for an athlete of Bolt’s level to be competing there suggests that there were other reasons for it.
Hopefully Ange or NumberTwo or PJ will confirm this, if true. Hell, I hope it is!
The only reason I am not buying it is because of the descriptions I have read of the training and interviews with Glen Mills. To me, the evidence of Charlie’s influence is more in the inclusion of speed from day one that Mills has stated he believes in.