Christian Brennan: The Mighty Atom or Pocket Hercules?

If you think size matters, think again.

Speed is all about about how fast you can cover ground. (from a quote by Tom Tellez)

Of course, being 6 feet 5 inches tall like Usain Bolt or Tommie Smith certainly helps, but if you are a shorter or smaller athlete, that shouldn’t deter you in making life choices.

Sydney Wooderson from England was the original "Mighty Atom" whose peak career was in the 1930s and 1940s in the middle distances. He was was 5 feet 6 inches and weighed less than 126 lbs (57 kg)

“Pocket Hercules” refers to Naim Süleymano?lu, the triple Olympic Champion (88-92-96) in weightlifting. Only seven lifters in the history of weightlifting can clean and jerk three times their bodyweight!

Christian Brennan of Canada won 3 medals at the 2011 IAAF Youth Championships in Lille, France (200m, 400m, and Swedish Relay). She stands out as being one of the smallest athletes out there. But don’t tell her that.

In a world where big muscles are associated with the sprints, it’s great to see the likes of Alyson Felix or Christian Brennan enter the scene. Even Jocko Gill, the 16 year old Kiwi shot putter, doesn’t have the size as compared to Dylan Armstrong or Christian Cantwell, but knows the importance of speed strength in training.

Below are the videos for the Women’s 400m and 200 meters at the 2011 IAAF Youth Championships in Lille, France. (Her Swedish relay video is here) These are the athletes to watch in the next few years as they move up to the Junior ranks fist, then hopefully the College system.