David Rudisha on...
.... his coach Brother Colm O’Connell
It was great that my coach came to see me in Zurich. A big surprise! My coach is not just a coach, responsible for my training, he is also an important advisor in a more general sense.
.... his world record at the Olympic Games in London
Of course, the main goal in London was winning the title. I went into the Olympic competition with great confidence. I had prepared well, and I just concentrated on my race. When I won, I was just happy, celebrating, and then I looked up at the clock....
.... on his pacemaker
When preparing for the Olympic Games, I trained without pacemaker, also to be comfortable to run the race from the front.
My pacemaker for tomorrow, Sammy Tangui, is just perfect for me. His stride length matches mine, we’re about the same height. Also, he is extremely accurate, and runs a very even pace, which is almost the most important thing. He will not have to struggle to take me to 400m at the required pace.
.... his father’s dream
My father was teaching sport, and he was dreaming about one of his kids becoming an athlete and maybe, one day, winning an Olympic medal. I am his youngest child, so I just had to do it. He was always supportive, and of course, he was quite happy and excited, when I called him up after the race in London.
.... on the weather
Of course, the weather will have an influence on any athlete performing outdoors, and it plays a certain role in any race, if the weather is out of the ordinary. I haven’t run many races in rainy conditions so far. I will just concentrate on running.
.... on training in Germany
My manager has a house near Tübingen. So, some athletes of our group stay and train there during the season. It makes it so much easier for all of us to commute to the competitions (my manager is Australian). Besides, it is nice not to have to stay in hotels all the time, and Tübingen is a great city.
.... on the race at Weltklasse Zürich
I take every race very seriously. And the race in Zurich is an important one. It will be my last competition for the season, so I definitely want to give it my very best.
Usain Bolt on...
.... his last appearance at Letzigrund Stadium three years ago
Running at Letzigrund Stadium is awesome. I remember how fans will bang on the boards, creating a great atmosphere.
.... about the Olympic Games 2016 in Brazil
Between now and the next Olympic Games, anything can happen. This is track and field, there will be two world championships until then. I will take it year by year, and try to stay fit in the process. I am not even sure what events I will concentrate on next year.
.... titles vs. records
With whatever you do, it’s about the flavour, the way you do it. Records will always be improved, but nobody can take medals and titles away from you. This year, it was all about the Olympics. I was focusing on winning the titles in London, not so much about running fast times. But it’s quite possible, that at some point, I could decide to work on running fast, and see whether I can get to another record.
....long jumping in the future
After the season, I will sit down with my coach, and we will decide on what we will work on for next year. I am not sure yet, whether that might be the 400m or the long jump.
....the weather
We always have to expect some rain and cold weather when we come to Europe to compete. After a couple of years, your body gets used to that. I do not really have a problem acclimatizing to the local weather.
....going out in Zurich
I do not really go out when I am at competitions. I usually spend the evening with my Blackberry or sitting in the hotel, talking with other athletes.
.... his plans for the Zurich race
I achieved all my goals for this year. I came here to do what I love the most: compete.
.... his preparation for the race
We have a routine in the hours leading up to the race. It’s always similar. But it will be simpler, and less stressful than in London.
.... on his plans for after the season
I’m counting the days until when I’ll be home. I’m not sure, whether I will have much time to relax, though. There will be some appearances. But I will be home, which is the most important thing. I will be with my friends and my family, I will have time to play video games, I will skip training. I will be enjoying just being me.
.... on his plans for after his career
I won’t go into politics, that’s for sure. Right now, I am just relying on my team to organize my schedule, deal with the requests, the projects. I am not worrying about the more remote future at this point.
Yohan Blake on...
.... T20 cricket
Cricket is great! I will always be playing cricket!
.... his YB Afraid Foundation
I am glad, that I can help kids with this foundation. There are so many talented children around, and for some of them, it’s hard. Not everyone can be as fortunate as I was. During the season, I cannot be there so much. I will just send them my love, and go to see them, as soon as I get back.
.... his 9.69 race in Lausanne and his plans for Weltklasse Zürich
I have looked at the tape together with my coach to review some of the mistakes during the race. As for tomorrow: I feel good. I had a flu, but feel much better now. As you know, I am a man of surprises. We will see what happens. I will just focus on executing as perfect a race as possible.
....an him and Usain Bolt dominating the sprints
It’s not like we’re athletes from another planet. We have worked hard for years, and now, we are finally ahead of the game.
....on being the second-fasted man in the world
Being able to run this fast means a lot. It’s been a long-felt dream, and now, here I am.
