The 60-metre showdown between two of India’s fastest sprinters, Animesh Kujur and Gurindervir Singh was the most anticipated race on the final day of the 1st Indoor National Athletics Championships.
The two elite sprinters were running their first-ever competitive 60-metre race. When they lined up side-by-side, a fast race on a fast Mondo track was on the cards. Over a distance in which making a comeback after a slow start is tough, reacting well to the starter’s gun was crucial.
But on a day of false starts, three in the men’s final alone, Animesh paid the price for getting off the blocks quicker than he should have. His disqualification meant Gurindervir would have to race without the one competitor who could push him to the limit.
“I was focused on just my race irrespective of what happened around me. Disqualifications because of false starts are part of the race but that is what tests the mental strength of an athlete. Earlier, I didn’t have the mental strength and used to give excuses. But not anymore,” Gurindervir said.
Gurindervir didn’t let the three false starts distract him. He scorched the Mondo track to set a new national record of 6.60 seconds. Silver-medalist Lalu Prasad Bhoi of Odisha (6.65s) had a memorable outing as he too was faster than the previous mark of 6.67 seconds set by VK Elakkiadasan at the 2018 Asian Indoor Championships in Tehran.
“False starts could be because of pressure or because of who you are racing against. Even a world champion can lose in the 60 metres because of a bad start. The start is all-important in the 60 metres,” Gurindervir said.
Gurindervir even walked over to check with the officials if Animesh could run under protest. “People had come to see him run and I also felt he would give a very good competition,” Gurindervir said.
Story continues below this ad
Winning the 60-metre title was a boost for Gurindervir. After setting a national record in March last year he had become pessimistic. By the end of the season, Animesh rewrote both the 100m and 200m national records to emerge as the top Indian sprinter.
“Last year I started the season with the national record but then I got demotivated and became negative. I didn’t even look at myself in the mirror. But this year I want to perform well right through the season,” Gurindervir said.
Post race Animesh looked at the positive side. “I know my start has improved and so has my speed. I am confident of breaking the 100 and 200 metre records again this year,” Animesh said.
Start is crucial
Standing at 6 feet and two inches, Animesh is a towering athlete. Being relatively taller than most other sprinters, the start in the 100 metres and 200 metres is not his strongest suit. His coach Martin Owens saw benefit in Animesh running the 60 metres.
Story continues below this ad
“Running the 60 metres helps Animesh immensely. In the 60 metres he can’t rely on his top-end speed and kill them all (competitors) in the last 20, 30 metres. We had some races earlier in the year that we call performance-graded competitions. Some of the best sprinters in India were here (Bhubaneswar). Animesh was holding his own,” Owens told this paper.
Staying calm in the sub-seven second race is also crucial even if the first phase does not go as per plan.
“You’ve got nowhere to pull anything back. You can’t correct anything. So everything’s got to be perfect. And if it isn’t perfect, you can’t panic. You’ve just got to hold it together and do the best you can,” Owens, the head coach at the Odisha-Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC, said.
A sprinter needs to be head-and-shoulders above the rest on competition day in order to fight back from a slow start in the 60 metres. “If you get caught in your blocks, you’re out of the race. To make a comeback you’ve got to be a lot better than everybody else,” Owens said.
Story continues below this ad
Coleman example
Owens cites the example of Christian Coleman, the world record holder in the 60 metres, as a sprinter who can ace the 60-metres and the 100-metres.
“Chris Coleman is a phenomenal starter, a great 60-metre runner and great 100-metre runner. Then there are 60-metre specialists. They can’t necessarily hold it the last 40 (of the 100 metres) or once the big guys start coming through. So it depends on what type of athlete you are. Are you one of those athletes that’s maxing at 70 (metres), 80 or 90…Or you got to be like Chris Coleman or Maurice Green or Ben Johnson, who would just kill the 60 and kill the 100,” Owens added.
Animesh took the disqualification setback on his chin. “I felt I could run 6.55 today. I had that kind of speed,” Animesh said.
Gurindervir has laid down the marker this season, it’s over to Animesh to produce the speed he is known for.
