LaShawn Merritt meeting with the media on the eve of the 2008 World Athletics Gala (© Bob Ramsak)
Carlo, MonacoSeveral of the world’s leading athletes made themselves available to the media on the eve of the World Athletics Gala. Below are some excerpts from the second day of press conferences (Sunday, 23-Nov) held at the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco.
Andrey Silnov (RUS), Olympic High Jump champion
How has your live changed since you became Olympic champion?
Of course my world has changed. There has been much more attention, but also much more responsibility.
On breaking Javier Sotomayor’s World record of 2.45m –
It’s the world record. Why not?
On looking ahead towards the 2009 World Championships –
I don’t like to think about the future. You just have to train and then show your results in competition.
On the strong competitiveness in the High Jump among Russian men –
We have a very strong tradition in the high jump. And the very competitive domestiv competition makes us all better.
On improvements needed to his technique –
My jump is never ideal. There are always mistakes. You just have to try to remember many minor things when you jump.
LaShawn Merritt (USA), Olympic 400m champion
How has your live changed since you became Olympic champion?
Not too much since I continue doing the same things I did before. I live in the same place, I keep on training hard. Possibly the major change is what people expect from me now. And I’m fully aware that I must train harder than ever to maintain my top spot.
On Michael Johnson’s 43.18 World record -
It’s still a long way to the record. I should be closer and closer to it before breaking it. My main target for next season is to take two (400 and 4x400) gold medals at the World Championships in Berlin.
Which part of the race would you need to improve to attack the World record?
(Laughs). Every part of it. Starting from the reaction time. I feel that I should run a nearly perfect race to do it. The good hint is that I improve every year and that means I haven’t run my perfect race yet.
How is your relationship with Jeremy Wariner?
We respect each other a lot. I congratulate him when he wins, he congratulates me when I win. But we don’t have a lot of contact off the track.
Have you thought about running the 800?
Maybe, it’s a possibility, but not in the near future.
Michael Johnson (USA), 400m World record holder
On losing his 200m World record to Usain Bolt this year
(No longer having the record) doesn’t feel any different. The accomplishment is achieving the world record. There’s no accomplishment in holding the world record.
General impressions on Usain Bolt –
He’s the most exciting talent that I’ve ever seen. In this sport, every 15 or 20 years someone comes along with great, phenomenal talent.
If I were him I would run the 400. I think he could break the world record. It would be unprecedented.
On Bolt’s rivals –
Motivation has to be a problem for anyone in the 100 and 200 right now. As confident as an athlete can be, they know it’s difficult now, feeling that need to break a world record to win.
Bob Ramsak and Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
