Posted by Two hundred metres in 20.08 seconds is fast. John Shepherd caught up with Christian Malcolm to find out just what it was like for the British sprinter to race against Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.
Christian Malcolm has been competing in top level athletics for well over a decade. He won the sprint double at the World Junior Championships in 1988. What keeps him motivated to compete more than ten years later?
“The fact that I feel that I have still not achieved my potential,” he tells me. “The actual love of running, and competing, and the buzz. Nothing comes close to it, as far as I am concerned. I love performing on the big stage. It’s a preparation game. You train for eleven months for one race, and when you do perform well in that race, it’s a great feeling.
I only started training a few weeks back (mid October at time of interview), which is a bit later than usual, due to a few late season races. So, I’ll sit down with my coach, Linford, and probably decide in December or January what I’ll be doing.”
How much do you change your training from season to season?
“In recent years injuries have meant that I have had to change things, and modify plans. 2008 was my first injury free year since 2001. I’ve had hamstring, groin and Achilles injuries in the past.”
What are your strengths as a sprinter?
“I’ve got natural speed. Whereas a lot of other sprinters have a large power base. I’m not as strong, but I have got a good stride length. For me, what is really important is that I have always been able to perform well on big occasions.”
What have been your career highlights?
“I’d say, the European indoor gold and world indoor silver, and European indoor silver and Commonwealth silvers. But funnily enough, there has been nothing that really stands out. No, not really, because I feel that I’ve been unfortunate not to win (better) medals. Although I have medalled in major outdoor championships in the relays, I have not done so, individually. That’s a goal I am still looking to achieve.
If you had asked that question a few years back, I would have said winning the double at the World Junior Championships. This put me on a great platform to move into the senior ranks. But there’s not really so much that I have really been happy with after that.”
With a time of 20.08 seconds for the 200 metres is it burning you to get under 20 seconds?
“Yeah, definitely, it is.”
What do you need to do to get under twenty?
“Stay fit. Stay injury free. I feel that after I have had an injury free year, that I am able to push and build and have a really good next season. So I’ll be looking to get close to my personal best, if not better it.”
Do you prepare mentally for your races, or just turn up and run?
“It’s a little bit of both. Performing at a big events is like performing at a theatre. It’s my stage. We train and train for that one big moment.”
How does being coached by the Barcelona Olympic 100 metres champion work? Does Linford really coach you, or is he more of a mentor?
“Linford ‘coaches me, coaches me.’ He sets my sessions. Mentally, he’s great to have around because he has been there and done it. And I think that anyone who has been around him will realise why he has been successful–because he is so mentally strong.”
What are the toughest workouts he sets for you?
Malcolm Christian laughs for the first time during our interview. “A few of them,” he says. “I started training this week…hmm…15 by 150 mertres, 4 by 400 metres–these are quite tough for the first week back. Then there are the 42-second runs, those are hard. You have to run as far as you can in 42-seconds.
I couldn’t really tell you why 42-seconds. But in that time you’re looking to get to 350 metres. It’s more of a mental thing, rather than running to a mark. You’re running until you stop. It’s important to run through the finish when you race, but there can be a tendency to slow at the line and the 42-second runs encourage you not to do that.”
And what about the sessions you like?
“Block work. It’s always competitive. It’s what sprinters do. It’s fast. It’s intense, and in a session like that the egos are flying, and that’s really good.”
Who else trains with you?
“Mark Lewis Francis has joined the group, Wade Bennett-Jackson, and there are some other younger athletes.”
What weight training do you do?
“For me, it’s all about keeping strong and getting my body together. I tend to do weights for pre-habilitation (injury prevention).”
Okay, so what about Usain Bolt?
You faced the phenomenon in the Olympic semi and the finals. You were fourth to the Jamaican in the semi, clocking 20.25 to his 20.09, and in the final you came in fifth in 20.40 seconds. Over a second behind Bolt’s world record in 19.30 seconds.
“Look, he is phenomenal. People have asked me about what it was like being in the race–and to be honest–it wasn’t great. I’ll probably look back in years to come and say, ‘yeah, it’s nice to be part of history,’ but no, it wasn’t my greatest moment. He is a great talent. He has raised the bar and we’re all going to have to step up.
He is going to put a lot of doubt into people’s minds. But he is going to have times when he is not quite so on song–and that is when we will have to be on our game–and take the advantage.”
Christian Malcolm Fact File
DOB – 03/06/1979
Weight – 66Kg
Height – 1.71m
Coach – Linford Christie
Career Highlights
1998 – World Junior 100m and 200m (gold)
2000 – European Indoor 200m (gold)
2002 – European Indoor 200m (silver)
2005 – World Champions 4 x 100m (bronze)
2007 – World Champions 4 x 100m (bronze)
100m – 10.11 (2001)
200m – 20.08 sec (2001)
60m – 6.64 sec. (2001)
200m – 20.54 (2000)
Christian Malcolm is an Asics athletic Ambassador – for more information visit: www.asics.co.uk
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