What is Speed Reserve? Part 1 - 400 meter Sprinter types
January 5, 2009 by Jimson Lee
Before I discuss the topic of speed reserve, I want to talk about the different types of 400 meter sprinters.
Types of 400 meter runners
100/200 sprinters moving up to the 400m: In the past, short sprinters moving up the distance were rare. Remember Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire? Today, we’ve […]
Frank Wykoff on Track and Field Starting Blocks Controversy
January 4, 2009 by Jimson Lee
When you hear the name Frank Wykoff, you immediately think of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Gold medal 4×100 meter relay, along with Ralph Metcalfe and the 2 Jewish athletes that didn’t run (Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller). Frank Wykoff ran the anchor leg in a World Record time of 39.8 seconds.
Frank Wykoff had […]
Track and Field Starting Blocks Evolution
December 29, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Starting blocks were developed in the late 1920’s over the alternative of digging holes into the ground. They were patented in 1935, and have officially been used at the start of sprint races since 1937. Several iterations of starting blocks have been filed by the US patent office since then.
They have always been […]
Million Dollar Man Richard Thompson - Bigger than Ato Bolden?
December 28, 2008 by Jimson Lee
I have to admit, it wasn’t until the 3rd or 4th slow motion replay of the Beijing 100 meter final that I noticed the 2nd place finisher raising his arms in triumph.
He was wearing the red and white colours of T&T - Trinidad and Tobago (sorry, Canada). That man was Richard Thompson. He […]
Olympic 100 meter Sprint Videos
December 22, 2008 by Jimson Lee
This YouTube video is called Break the limit - Tribute to Sprinters with the background music “Desert Rose” by Sting.
It starts off with the first electronic recorded 100 meters under 10 seconds by Jim Hines in the 1968 Olympics. I love this video because Lennox Lewis of Jamaica is wearing a simple short sleeve […]
History of Jamaican Sprinting 1948-2002 Video
December 18, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Here is an interesting 15 minute history lesson on Jamaican sprinting from the Olympic appearance of Herb McKenley in 1948 up to 2002 when this film was produced.
This video includes interviews from Jamaica’s Head Coach Dennis Johnson, and athletes Lennox Miller, Michael Blackwood, Ray Stewart, Donald Quarrie and more. None of these men won […]
Mondo Rubber Tracks and the Mondo Olympics
December 17, 2008 by Jimson Lee
What would Bob Hayes or Ben Johnson run on today’s new artificial track surfaces?
Mondo has been around since the 1976 Montreal Olympics for Track and Field (Athletics), but Beijing 2008 was the first time using the new Mondotrack.
Like the Speedo LZR swimsuits, the new Mondotrack from Mondo gives sprinters a technological advantage.
We witnessed World Records […]
Ben Johnson - The 1988 Lost Seoul Series
December 8, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Where were you on December 8, 1980?
I was studying for my College finals when I heard the news about John Lennon.
Some dates you will always remember. July 20, 1969. September 11, 2001. September 24, 1988. December 26, 2004.
Did I say September 24, 1988?
With the 20th anniversary of the 1988 Seoul 100 […]
Is Bolt the Greatest Athlete Today?
December 5, 2008 by Jay Hicks
Is Bolt the Greatest Athlete Today?
He may not be a decathlete, but Usain “Lightening” Bolt is hands-down the top male athlete in professional sports today. Yes I am talking about the best today - not five years ago, or last year or even potential for the future.
Why?
Besides the fact that the six foot, five inch […]
Dwain Chambers on Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Stride Length and Stride Frequency
December 2, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Here are some quotes from the original article on timesonline.co.uk, and some commentary and analysis that follows it.
On Extrapolating 60 meters performances to 100 meters
Charles van Commenee, the new head coach at UKA, has said that Chambers is welcome back and the sprinter is hoping that this message will lead to a change in thinking. […]
Usain Bolt Puma Cell Mio - Where are They Now?
December 1, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Commercialism. Isn’t that what the Olympics are all about?
On the day before Usain Bolt set his record breaking 9.69 100 meter win in Beijing, PUMA announced the exclusive release of 180 pairs of Usain Bolt’s Puma Cell Mio on August 19th.
An updated version of Puma’s Cell cushioning and energy retention technology were used on […]
Reaction Time, Usain Bolt and the Pareto 80-20 Rule
November 30, 2008 by Jimson Lee
The 100 meters can be broken down into 3 parts:
reaction time,
acceleration to top speed,
speed endurance,
If you take Usain Bolt’s 9.69 time from Beijing 2008 as a percentage of time, you get:
Reaction time = 0.165 (1.7%),
0-60m without reaction time = 6.155 (63.5%),
60-100m including celebration = 3.37 (34.8%),
The term “Acceleration”, or roughly the first 60 meters or […]
Comparing 100 meter Freestyle and 400 meter Sprinting
November 27, 2008 by Jimson Lee
The 100 meter freestyle in swimming resembles the 400 sprint in running.
Their Elite times are in the mid 40’s second range and both events have similar energy systems: Alactic anerobic and Lactic anerobic.
Between 1968 and 2004, only 7 men has run under the magic 44 seconds barrier for the 400 meters (and two of them […]
Asafa Powell Coach Stephen Francis Coaching Seminar
November 16, 2008 by Jimson Lee
If you enjoyed my casual and candid live coaching videos of John Smith with Jon Drummond demonstrating a drills session or Clyde Hart Drill’s session, you might find this series of videos informative from YouTube.
In these videos, we have Coach Stephen Francis explaining how to prepare for sprinting at a session. This was organized […]
Chip Time vs. Gun Time Controversy
October 24, 2008 by Jimson Lee
Can you imagine taking the reaction time out of the Sprinters’ final FAT time? After all, it is the actual time covered for the entire 100 meter distance.
What would be the outcome if we did this? Especially in the 400 meters where reaction times are poor, or for those sprinters in the outer […]
Skinny Men Can’t Sprint - Part 1
October 22, 2008 by Jimson Lee
What is the ideal body type for a 100 meter sprinter?
ANSWER: The one who crosses the finish line first.
We all remember the 2008 Olympics when a 6 foot 5 inch tall muscular runner named Usain Bolt ran 9.69 for the 100 meters and he slowed down at the end with a chest thump.
We all remember […]
Asafa Powell or Bob Hayes - World’s Fastest 100 meters?
October 10, 2008 by Jimson Lee
POP QUIZ: Who has the World Record for the 4×100m fastest 100 meter relay split ?
This is not an official event, as timing consistency varies, but we all love stats, right?
Ever since I started watching the Olympics in 1972, historians always referred to “Bullet” Bob Hayes 8.5 second 4×100 meter anchor relay leg at […]
Yoga, Resistance Stretching, and now Pilates Exercise?
October 6, 2008 by Jimson Lee
I had a funny feeling Pilates was going to be popular with Track and Field athletes one day, along with the Alexander technique. In the personal fitness industry, we’ve seen the fad go from step classes, spinning bicycles, Tae-Bo, Bikram Yoga, kettlebells, swiss balls, bosu balls and other “core” fads.
I personally like good old-fashion […]
Darren Campbell Diet vs. Peter Radford Smorgasbord
October 1, 2008 by Jimson Lee
I came across an old newspaper clipping from The Times’ Feb 26, 2004 edition.
They compared the diets of Darren Campbell vs. Peter Radford, and the journalist was biased towards today’s modern science has done little to break sprinting records.
Darren Campbell was a bronze medalist from the 2003 World Championships with a best of 10.04 for […]
It was 20 Years Ago Today - September 24, 1988
September 24, 2008 by Jimson Lee
No, I am not referring to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Did you know that this album was the first to include lyrics to all the songs? It was printed on the back cover and the entire music industry copied this trend shortly thereafter.
With Usain Bolt’s 9.69 in the 2008 […]







