Interview
El Guerrouj, content and form. The Moroccan, a 1,500m specialist, is trying his hand at the 3,000m on Saturday in Brussels.
After having dispossessed, in the space of a year, the Algerian Nourredine Morceli of two world records (1,500m and mile), Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, gold medalist last week in Seville in the 1,500m, tries his hand at 3,000m, Saturday evening at the meeting (Golden League) from Brussels. José Marajo, national coach and coordinator of the French middle-distance team (800 to 10,000 m), reviews the strengths of this 24-year-old athlete. From head to toes.
Breathing: a muscular heart.
The high number of competitions in which he participates proves it: El Guerrouj recovers quickly and well. His heart is particularly muscular, his lungs very developed. The mile record holder demonstrates a great ability to supply his muscles and his brain with energy. From his beginnings on 5,000 meters, he has retained an efficient oxygen transport system, essential in the middle distance. "Basic qualities" that distinguish it from its competitors: it always appears, on arrival, fresher and more ready than them. This is where his strong point lies: Hicham El Guerrouj can run for a long time at a high pace. According to Marajo, “El Guerrouj is a little out of the ordinary. His talent allows him to express himself on 1,500 as on 5,000 m. Admittedly, at the start of the race, the other runners manage to keep up with his pace. But from about 1,000 meters, they drop out. And the gap is widening more and more
Pelvis: stability.
There is expressed the particularity of his style: the bust is always slightly leaning forward. El Guerrouj devotes a lot of time to the muscular preparation of the "cladding", that is to say of his abdominals and his lumbar. This is why it is able to remain stable, without ever oscillating. Even at the end of the race, when most runners completely break up at this point. Finally, Hicham El Guerrouj shows great flexibility. "Like all the best," says José Marajo.
Stride: the weak point.
El Guerrouj's foot is not exceptionally fast. Rather very strong and very stable. In the opinion of José Marajo, this is "his weak point". But his stride, economical, does not deteriorate during the race. While all great runners see their amplitude vary, his never diminishes. He has the right gesture. His stride is “round”, without artifact: it turns “like the wheels of old locomotives, estimates José Marajo. His races are not particularly spectacular. You have to look at the stopwatch to see that it is going really fast!”
Head: “no flaws”.
Hicham El Guerrouj, whose stated ambition is to reign from 1,500 to 5,000 meters, seems completely impervious to pressure. His way of challenging himself and, above all, of announcing them, denotes a certain moral strength. “He is indestructible, cowardly, admiring, José Marajo. I don't know of any flaws in it." In fact, nothing seems to destabilize him. His performance at the Rome meeting in July showed it: having seen the shadow of his "hare", the Kenyan Noah Ngeny, on his heels, he did not look back for a single second. Sign of an unshakeable self-confidence, reinforced by his performance and conscientious training. "If we don't turn around, says Marajo, it's because we say to ourselves: whoever is following me can't be there." The athlete has a mind of steel, he has absolutely no big head. His simplicity contrasts with the claim of many of his colleagues, who are infinitely less talented.
Arm: economy of movements.
Glued to the bust. The deflection is very marked, which contrasts with the vast majority of runners. His key word: regularity. “Hicham absolutely does not exaggerate the movements of his arms, observes Marajo. These are always very weak and uniform.” For El Guerrouj, saving his oxygen means reducing the amplitude of his gestures as much as possible. This goes for both upper and lower body.
Thighs: strength and power. Faithful to the Moroccan style, traditionally adept at narrower strides, El Guerrouj uses his thighs more than his feet. His way is "linear", unlike, for example, the "beautiful stride", more airy, of a Wilson Kipketer. If, in the opinion of specialists, the Dane has "feet", the Moroccan has "thighs". Very powerful thighs, both strong and fast. Since his first world title, the morphology of Hicham El Guerrouj has also greatly evolved. Like many middle-distance runners, who reach adult height at age 20, he has matured late. The muscular volume of his thighs has developed, the result of intense exercises in hills, leaps or speed.
Source (French leftish news paper liberation)
The interview was done just before El G. did his 7:23 in the 3000m.