At the 2010 Gibson Relays, Usain Bolt ran an impressive 400m anchor leg making up more than 20 meters, but it wasn’t enough to win against a strong University of Technology team.
Bolt’s anchor leg split was 43.58 seconds. Listen to the crowd as 15,000 spectators stand and cheer on their feet as he took the baton in fourth place at least 20 meters behind.
Usain Bolt ran a valiant 390 meters before easing up when he realized he could not win. His team, Racer’s Lions, finished second in 3:05.77 behind University of Technology, who won the 4x400m in 3:05.33.
Once again, the 4x400m relay is the highlight of any track meet.
Video courtesy of Trackalerts.com.
Jimson Lee
Coach & Founder at SpeedEndurance.com
I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.
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Hello Jimson,
He was definitely moving. I give Usain Bolt a lot of credit for actually attempting to devote himself to becoming a world-class 400m runner. Many would think that it is a very simple step for someone with his speed and talent to train for the event and then start taking cracks at the world record. We would be wrong to think such a thing. I believe he and his coach must have thought long and hard about what it would take to become a legitimate contender and also keep his sights set on improving in the 100m and 200m events. (Something that would be ridiculous to contemplate for almost anyone else) It is a very exciting time to witness such an athlete who is striving to realize his full potential while at the same time is meeting the expectations from the rest of the world.
Thank you also for the excellent paper: “Neuro-Biomechanics of Maximum Velocity Sprinting”
by Loren Seagrave, Ralph Mouchbahani, Kevin O’Donnell. I have read only the first 4 pages and I am completely absorbed by what has been presented so far.
I give him credit for catching up. But he lost a lot of respect in my mind of easing up at the end. I was always taught to never give up, even if you’re losing. If you are in last place in 1600m race on the last 100 meters, don’t just give up! keep going until you actually lost. This comes from a 15-year-old who has been running the 1600m and 400m for two years, and will run the 400m only this year.
Hello Aaron,
I’m happy to hear that you are active in your pursuit of running by competing and also by engaging in sites such as this one where you can learn many things. But perhaps, while still in your formative years you will try to slowly create an understanding as well as develop an analytical way of observing and studying Mr. Bolt’s quest for higher goals. I think then you will be able to fairly evaluate and reconsider “the loss of a lot of respect in your mind” for such things as Bolt easing up at the end.
He and his coach are undergoing a very complicated and critical process to realize achievements that have never been accomplished before. Previous unparalleled performances dictated by their combined hard work, maturity, intelligence and competitive success deserve the patience and acceptance from the rest of us. We certainly cannot understand the complete action before us when it is only presented by a video recording of a few seconds in time combined with our preconceived notions and filtered perceptions.
As Bruce Lee wrote in his book, ‘Tao of Jeet Kune Do’, “To see a thing uncolored by one’s own personal preferences and desires is to see it in its own pristine simplicity.”
I wish you the best for this upcoming season and keep us posted of your exploits. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing plenty of good things and more from you in the future.