Mehdi Baala defending his European 1500m title (© Getty Images)
Last summer France’s Mehdi Baala emulated Briton Steve Cram’s double in 1982 and 1986 by successfully defending his European 1500m title. The four years in between those continental victories in Munich and Gothenburg were plagued by injuries and contrasting results for Baala, who has a singular target in 2007: the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 August - 2 September 2007).
In 2003 Baala was the silver medallist at World Championships behind Hicham El Guerrouj, a performance which came a few weeks before he set a 3:28.98 personal best and which today still marks him as the sixth best 1500m performer on the world all-time list. However, a few days before the 2004 Olympics, he tore his ankle while jogging, and the 2005 season was also tainted by injuries and he couldn’t reach the final at the World Championships in Helsinki.
Keeping faith in his abilities
But 2006 would see a renaissance in the career of the 28-year-old Strasbourg native. Baala's injury history forced him to be cautious in training and made any specific speed work during the autumn of 2005 impossible to execute. Instead, his long time coach Jean-Michel Dirringer cautiously planned longer distances at lower intensities, but this wasn’t enough to prepare Baala properly for any indoor races in 2006.
Baala’s opening competition was delayed until the spring, and with a tear in his left hamstring preventing him trying any bursts of speed in training the idea of running 800m in competition was cancelled.
“I didn’t want to run 1500m either because it is the championship distance,” explains Baala about his opening to the 2006 summer. “I wanted to open my season with any other distance, therefore we chose the intermediate option in taking part in 1000m races.”
The first race came on 9 June 2006 in Villeneuve d’Ascq, and Baala who had never opened a season that late without indoor races, showed good form by setting his second best ever time with 2:14.99.
Ten days later, in his hometown, Strasbourg, Baala tested himself over 1500m with a 3:32.93 clocking, winning the race by a giant 10sec margin.
Three-times a European Cup winner at 1500m, last summer Baala chose to avoid that competition which usually delivers a slow pace leading up to a storming last lap. “The typical tactic in European Cup would have been too violent for my hamstring and no risk was allowed in the preparation for Gothenburg,” confirmed the French recordholder (indoors and out) at 800m, 1000m, 1500m, and (outdoors) at 2000m.
Another solo run at 1000m in Metz (2:15.47) on 2 July was supposed to prepare Baala for the important show in Saint-Denis at the Paris edition of the IAAF Golden League on 8 July. However, a deceiving 6th place in Paris, a full second behind Ukrainian Ivan Heshko and a resulting sciatic nerve problem, which forced him to skip the National Championships three weeks before Gothenburg, didn’t affect Baala’s confidence.
“The last two years were very difficult for me, and I was eager to show that I was capable of winning again. I have been criticized a lot, but I never lost faith in myself.”
Running with my heart
In Gothenburg, Baala knew his main opponents would be Heshko and the three Spanish runners Casado, Gallardo and Higero. After three slow laps, Baala engaged his decisive burst of acceleration with 300m to go and crossed the line the victor in 3:39.02 ahead the Ukrainian.
“I told myself to run with my heart, and to start to sprint early because I knew that in the last 200m, I had no chance against the Spanish and Heshko’s finish.”
“After my 2002 title, my coach told me that I would remain European champion during the next four years. Now that I successfully defended my title, I will be European champion for eight years!” smiled Baala.
Intensive work-outs with longer rests
Significant changes had occurred in Baala’s preparation which had enhanced his strength in 2006. As well as Dirringer’s race training, physical preparation was done under José Marajo’s supervision. The former 1500m Olympic finalist (1980) made the work “more intensive, with longer rests and a better adaptation,” confirms Baala. “I found better feelings, I took more pleasure in this type of work and I felt less tired than during the past years when the emphasis was mostly on cardiovascular work.”
Baala, as usual, competed sparingly in the Grand Prix meeting circuit in 2006, where Alex Kipchirchir, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, Rachid Ramzi, Bernard Lagat and Ivan Heshko all tried to take over the leading role in men’s middle distance running, attempting to replace the retired World and Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj.
“Since Hicham’s retirement, there’s no (world) leader in the 1500m, the race strategy now varies from meet to meet. I have to say that as far I'm concerned, I preferred the time when Hicham was running, as at least we always knew what was going to happen!”
Baala took part to his fourth and last 1500m race of the season in Brussels, winning his first Golden League race since Saint-Denis in 2003. In the process he resisted Alex Kipchirchir’s last straight challenge to set his season’s best of 3:32.01. Baala then ended the year in Tomblaine with a 1000m in 2:15.21.
Indoors 2007 - Stuttgart and Karlsruhe but no Birmingham
Jean-Michel Dirringer says the Osaka World Championships will be the main objective in 2007 for Baala who is currently in South Africa for a training camp on the road to Japan.
“Mehdi will compete in a few indoor meetings, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe (3 and 11 February respectively), but won’t take part in the European Indoor Championships (in Birmingham),” confirmed Baala’s coach.
P-J Vazel for the IAAF
