For this episode we welcome four special guests! The members of the Athens 2004 Gold Medal winning British 4x100m Relay Team. It is not everyday one gets to chat with an entire Olympic relay squad and listen to their perspectives. The four members that shocked the world with their victory are:
Jason Gardener
Darren Campbell
Marlon Devonish
Mark Lewis-Francis
These four gentlemen published a book around their Olympic exploits, their experience growing up as minorities in Great Britain and the aftermath of winning Gold.
The book is called Our Race: The Untold Story of an All-Time Sporting Shock
Available via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B3RPRV7/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1
If you enjoy this podcast episode, we urge you to check out the book!
0:30 Introductions
4:20 Talk to us about the preparation. What was the relay training situation like?
7:30 How often had you four run in this formation before the Athens Games? With all the ups and downs you'd had individually and collectively, how come you had so much belief that Athens would be your moment?
12:00 What were the main hurdles you had to overcome in order to negotiate your personal rivalries and gel as a group?
18:45 Usually in relay squads members have different roles, can you describe your role within the team.
22:15 What was the time in the call room and then on the track like before the finals?
32:10 Walk us through the race from leg to leg (handing off to one another). What were you aware of while you were running?
42:00 Once a 4x1 runner hands off the baton, they basically become a spectator. What did the first three legs think as you watch the race unfold and the seeing Mark speeding down the homestretch?
51:45 How did winning gold feel? Does winning the ultimate prize in sport make it all worth it? How did you feel about competing after you became champions?
58:30 How do you feel your individual upbringings contributed to making you world-class athletes?
1:17:00 How do you guys feel that your achievements are viewed and recognized in Britain and elsewhere?
1:29:00 How did the book come about? Why have you chosen this route to publication? What do you hope the book helps change?
For this episode we welcome Ohio State Associate Head Coach Joel Brown. We discuss Joel's long professional hurdling career, his start into coaching and the development of 200 runner Anavia Battle.
1:30 Track & Field can humble you quick ... give us an instance where you realized there are levels to this.
3:30 Give us your evolution as a hurdler, high school and college
10:00 Growing up in Baltimore
13:10 You entered the pro ranks during arguably the deepest error of hurdling. What was that like going from a top NCAA hurdler to competing as pro along side the likes of Dayron Robles, Liu Xiang, Ladji Doucoure etc?
19:30 Tell us about competing at Helsinki World Champs - that had some of the craziest weather ever
23:35 How would you describe your hurdle style, what made you an elite-level hurdler? And talk us through who you liked competing against?
26:40 The transition from elite athlete to college coach can be different for everyone share with us your experience and what it was like for you?
29:20 Who are your coaching mentors and influences?
33:10 Having seen so much of this sport from a variety of different view points, what advice would you give yourself as a volunteer if had the opportunity to do so?
34:15 Talk us through the amazing development of Anavia Battle and some of your coaching points/philosophy in regards to the 200. She had a phenomenal season culminating earning a spot on the US Olympic Team
41:45 Give us a great track story - you have been around the sport at every level.
43:50 Who else would you like to listen to on this show?