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Jason Richardson and Aries Merritt teleconference - adidas Grand Prix 2012
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For 110-meter hurdlers Jason Richardson and Aries Merritt, the past year has bee life-changing: Richardson became the 2011 IAAF World Champion outdoors, and this winter Merritt won the 2012 world title indoors. But the year ahead could e even more monumental. "I can't sleep at night sometimes," said Richardson, on the excitement and pressure of the upcoming Olympic campaign for gold in one of the most fiercely competitive events in the sport. Richardson and Merritt, both of whom are suddenly among the medal favorites, will face each other-along with 2008 Olympic bronzze medalist David Oliver-at the adidas Grand Prix in New York City on June 9, and they spoke to reporters today on a teleconference in advance of the meet. Link to audio of the teleconference Link to today’s athlete announcement On what might be different in their approach in the Olympic year as opposed to past seasons: Aries Merritt: Training is going really good. The only major difference I’ve made this year was my change from eight to seven steps. Other than that everything is going well. I’m looking forward to running in New York. I think it will be a good result there. On their feelings about the Olympics: I can see a world record happening. I can see some crazy times happening. I can see a lot of history being made at the Olympics because that Olympic spirit is contagious and it’s pervasive and it’s something that we only get every four years. On the hurdles as a showcase event, similar to the 100 meters: On if the Olympic Trials harder than the Olympics: On what they are doing day-to-day in training to improve: Richardson: For myself, it’s always been technique. I have an interesting story about technique. I kind of have the same technique that I’ve had in high school and middle school and we’ve made alterations, small, here and there as the years have gone on. So I’m definitely trying to work on being that textbook technician as a hurdler. But we always work on, which is kind of the thing that a lot of athletes don’t work on and that’s that eye of the tiger, that competitiveness, that raw ability to get out there at all times to compete. The training that John Smith affords us really pushes us to the limit of what it takes to be an athlete. There are times where we’re at the starting line at practice that we’re exhausted and we’re tired and we don’t think that we can make it through the set, and it’s practices like that that when you get to a World Championship final or an Olympic final you don’t freak out because you’ve actually had that same type of fatigue and mentality at practice. So I’m working on the mental side of track and field as well as the physical. On they’re looking for in running in New York at the adidas Grand Prix: Richardson: Call me crazy, which I’ve been called crazy for awhile, I’m trying to break a world record. I have a joke with my agent that every time, every event, no matter what level it is, I’m out there trying to break the world record. I say this just to say that when I step on the line, I’m trying to do my best. I’m trying to get out there and put on a show and just display my talents. I know that with so many good quality people in the field that nothing’s impossible. On switching from 8 steps to 7 steps: It really allows you to generate more momentum as you’re going into the first unit if you actually do seven steps properly. I’ve actually been able to mimic my eight-step pattern with seven steps, with one less step. So I’m going through the first hurdle faster than I’ve ever gone and generating more momentum than I ever done before. That’s the reason for the change. Dayron Robles paved the way for seven steps for male hurdlers when he broke the world record. It was just phenomenal when he did it and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, this dude is taking seven steps and we’re taking eight.’ Richardson: Switched to seven last year. It was definitely a roller-coaster. Sometimes I would get it and sometimes I wouldn’t but it definitely as made me a better athlete. Now this year the seven steps have become a lot more comfortable. I really have endorsed the cadence and I really think it has helped the latter part of my race, putting me in a better position at the end. On who they train with day-in and day-out—a hurdles-specific group or with flat sprinters: Richardson: As everyone in track & field knows in general, there’s a man named John Smith, and I train with him. I have the amazing opportunity of having a training partner who just came from Saudi Arabia. He’s really helped me at the beginning of the race because he’s a really quick starter. He’s the only hurdler in the group. He’s been here for a couple of weeks now so for the most part I’ve been the singular focus. Now I have the opportunity to get feedback in my race in relation to another athlete, so that’s been good. On off days that I don’t do hurdles, I am actually doing sprinting workouts with some of the top sprinters in the world. I have the chance to run against and with Walter Dix and Richard Thompson, and I have the chance to feed off the energy Carmelita Jeter affords to practice. The culture we have in the camp is amazing and is what pushes us to do kind of what the impossible calls for. I definitely think that training environment works really well in LA. I train twice a week (on hurdles) but the sensibility of our program is, if I’m a little bit sore or I need more work, I can always add or detract from a hurdle workout. For myself, speed is a major component so we always make sure we keep the flying 60s, we keep the general fitness, and that we cover the training with hurdles. On how each got started hurdling: Before I jumped the fence, I ran the 100, the 200 and the 400. I wasn’t that fast. But as a hurdler, as long as you have rhythm, you can run the hurdles fast. Richardson: I’ve always done the hurdles. I began the hurdles in middle school as an initial way to pay for school. My sisters are eight and six years older than me, and my dad made a little funny comment about paying for school and he wished they were athletes. We joked about it, and that kind of stuck with me. For me, I just kind of mimicked what I saw on TV. That’s why I have a raw technique, and it’s not too perfect but it works. I just enjoyed it. I’ve had coaches who’ve spent some tears and some energy and some yelling trying to get me to make corrections, but I did come with a certain skill set that was natural. We’re just working on making changes to make me better. On if winning world championships/world indoor championships has changed anything in their lives: Richardson: Winning the World Championships has definitely affected my bank account. Outside of that, Worlds gives you an indication of where you’re at in relation to the other competitors and how much your hard work is actually paying off. It creates a pressure of having to do media obligations and exposure. I had to do the TODAY Show, which was an amazing experience but I just didn’t want hit a hurdle and fall on national television. It’s theses moments that a World Championship title can bring that actually create an amazing chance to enjoy the sport outside of just going to practice and competing. You get to reach fans, you get to interact with people, you get to really extend the boundaries of what track & field can do. On why hurdlers face each other more than most sprinters: Richardson: We have 17 competitors at every meet. You have the 7 people at adjacent lanes, then you have the 10 people you’re actually trying to jump over that want to keep you from finishing that race. Different than actually sprinting, you know that you have to run your race and get over your hurdles and get over your obstacles. There’s a certain focus that hurdling has that sprinting doesn’t have. You can’t say a word about who’s in the race because you still have to do what you need to do to get over those hurdles and stay on your feet. I think that’s why hurdlers aren’t afraid to compete against each other and aren’t afraid to race because in essence, we already have our own battles inside our two white lines. On what it means to compete in an Olympic year: Richardson: For myself I don’t have anything to prove except to prove to myself. I definitely feel like momentum is important in track & field. You’re kind of always as good as your last race. Coming off of Worlds, I have the momentum of the outdoor season, and I definitely want to keep that going, keep that rolling, keep that same mentality going throughout the season. The mental part of track as a whole is actually forgotten about. It’s an element that a lot of people don’t really address. I think that these championships, and the momentum and using that leverage when you compete is what’s important. That’s what I’m trying to do this year, is making sure, not necessarily that the title I have is respected but just reminding people when it’s all said and done, I was able to run well and run some great times. That’s what’s important going into this year. On competition plans both before and after the adidas Grand Prix: Richardson: I will also be at Pre and Shanghai as well. I’m also doing Daegu. I think what y’all will see is an Olympic final probably two, three, maybe four times before the actual Olympics. It’s gonna be a good year for hurdling. Before the grand prix meet, we’ll definitely compete against each other a few times.
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