Michael Phillips
Tuesday July 3, 2007
The Guardian
Marlon Devonish last night enhanced his status as a world-class 100 metre runner by producing a superb performance to take second place in the Athens grand prix while his British team-mate Craig Pickering was only seventh. Hardly a major surprise, as Devonish has run faster than Pickering previously this season, but it served as further confirmation of the thrilling domestic duel in prospect at the Norwich Union World Trials in Manchester in just over three weeks’ time.
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At 31, Devonish is in the form of his life and after winning his semi-final in 10.09sec he recorded the same time in the final as Derrick Atkins, of the Bahamas, who won in a national record of 9.95.Showing immense power in the second half of the race and sustaining it in the final 20 metres, Devonish beat Francis Obikwelu, the Olympic silver medallist from Portugal who was third in 10.11. Mark Lewis-Francis was sixth in 10.23, a place ahead of Pickering in 10.24 with Jason Gardner ninth in 10.32.
Goldie Sayers learned the size of the step up she has to take if she is to make the podium at the world championships in Osaka as Britain’s No1 javelin thrower was eighth with 59.21m. Germany’s Christina Obergfoll won with 67.78m.
Pickering was disappointing. His performance was nothing compared to his run in CZE.
First he caused a false start, then he started well (so it looked like he has the nerves), but looked like he picked up no real speed. In Ostrava everything looked more light and relaxed.
Wonder what happened.
Marlon looked very good. Scotts run was terrible.
In the 800 Borzakovkys “acceleration run” over the last 100m of the race was remarkable.
On the “visual side” I was mostly impressed with Brianna Glenn. I’d apreciate pics of her
Marlon is running very well…he’s a good guy is Marlon…I’d like to see him break 10 this year…I’d like to know what he’s changed this year…He has been long over due in running these times especially with the promise he’s show over the last few years.
The AAA trials will be very interesting this year. I don’t think its going to as clear cut as most people think. I remember last year when Marlon was the clear favourite and he false started and got DQ’d…in saying that he’ll go regardless unless people run 10.07 and faster which i can’t see happening in Manchester with the weather we’ve been having.
Listening to the coverage of the Oslo meeting on 5 Live I discovered that Marlon has been training wirh Francis Obiquelo and has learned a lot from him. Maybe he’s learned that you have to do quality work in training with enough recovery to allow it to be beneficial to be able to run fast times.
It reminds me of a comment John Regis made hen he came back from training in the states. Obviously can’t remember the right words but he basically said he learned so much including the technical aspects of how to run the turn in the 200m. At that level you would expect an athlete to be aware of such things.
