There is a massive campaign to promote Russian science etc and denigrate Borzov, as if they took some Joe off the street and made a champion out of him.
Clearly this is false as there was and is no other comparable sprinter from this "system’.
Borzov ran 10.5 at 16 and 10.2 at 17/18 with very weak 200m results before the final system was in place.
Petrovski made him a complete sprinter who could win at both distances and avoided the injuries that had plagued him as a junior. You need a great system combined with a great talent AND you need to tailor it to get the best out of the individual’s pre-existing strengths.
Borzov ran mid 10s as a teen if I recall, so I think he had some talent.
Also, have your bullshit detector on at full strength when you hear stories and read articles about his training. Any reasonable analysis shows that he didn’t use 90sec breaks between max speed 60m runs and he sure as hell didn’t do 75 sprints in one session (T and F News: How they Train)! Observation showed that the workouts listed were incomplete (speed one day, speed end the next and nothing else). I was in Munich and saw him run easy tempo 10 x 250 on the grass and Gerrard Mach knew that his annual program contained tempo as well. Where is the tempo in the write-ups?
Was the pace snail or water buffalo charlie?
Water Buffalo on a good day- maybe 32 to 35 sec 200 pace
the point is the same. even ben was forged not born no? no one would know better about the 10+ years of hard work he put into in a well coached system, you own lol. you and ben created ben together. he was made not born, no doubt he had a genetic predisposition but that would have meant little if he didnt have you as a coach.
Ben had a great program for him IMHO, but he was a huge talent also. While he was on my program throughout, still 10.3 at 16 and 10.25 and finals in Zurich, Berlin, Cologne, etc in High School shows fantastic talent in anyone’s book.
no doubt…
So has your opinion of Borzov being made, not born, changed, James? Your argument seems to have changed very fast.
no it hasnt changed at all. neither have my views on ben.
I think someone had it right earlier in the thread when they said the aim is not to hold back the athlete from thier true potential. Perhaps that is what often happens with tallent?
i think alot of talent is wasted. and also just because you dont run 10.4 when your 14 doesnt meant you wont be a great sprinter. often those who take longer to develope reach a higher height of physical devlopment.
Lovely thread…