Sagarin wrote:
Salazar points to the blistering last-lap surges that have brought Farah three golds and a silver medal in the last four global championship finals over 5,000m and 10,000m.
"When Mo first came to the US, he was very weak muscularly, with a lot of muscle imbalances," says Salazar. "The improvement in that area is the number one reason for Mo's kick [at the end of his races].”
"Now, instead of flailing with his arms and a lot of excessive bobbing movement with his head, losing upper body posture at the end of races, he's so much stronger that he's able to finish very strongly."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/20763653Maybe tweaking his biomechanics and working on his finish was all he needed. Remember, he had already run 3:33 and 12:57 before joining Salazar, so 26:46 isn't too much of a stretch. I don't know how I feel about Mo's 3:28, other than it was more like a 3:29, run perfectly, with absolutely no wasted energy as the splits were very even, which is rare. And this when he had already honed his speed.
Unlike Lance, Mo doesn't have a lot of detractors. Lance had people throwing him under the bus often and early, former therapists, people associated with the group, eventually teammates. He also had an "A" sample test positive and refused a test until he could "validate" the testing personnel's credentials, buying extra time.
I am not defending Mo so much as I'm keeping an open mind. If there is something going on beyond what is allowed by the governing authorities, it seems it would've leaked out by now. Perhaps it will in time, but Kara's "gimmicks" comment is hardly evidence. You can't imperil somebody on suspicion alone. Mo and Rupp get tested often, in and out of competition. I'm not sure Lance was even tested that much.
Good point. I'm somewhat fanatical about biomechanics and the potential for a regimen and lifestyle based on balance and training based on scientific principles of Biomechanics, in the same way that I believe Nutrition is important.
I've known Salazar to be innovative, at least, in that regard, but recently and especially on this forum, I've forgotten about it.
If he's really doing that stuff with his athletes in the scientifically valid ways, then those are legitimate grounds for substantial athletic improvement.
I will definitely agree with AlSal's contention there: Mo Farah's form is absolutely beautiful, a thing of astonishing beauty. It's something beyond the rather artificial and suspect late race form (past) of Rashid Ramzi--the confirmed doper. It's different, too, from the strange late race form of Makhdaddy at the Olympics--although it hasn't been conclusively proven that he was on the dope. Mo Farah may or may not be on the dope, but to some extent, dope will not buy you that beauty of form. There is some serious balance--however achieved--that was responsible for that. Some ineffable something.
What a fool I am for forgetting this. This has made me much happier.