I wrote this last night on the "Webb is Pissed" thread in reaction to the Flotrack video, and Malmo throws a hissy fit at the "kids" and "high schoolers" who know zero on the boards:
"He says he 'got impatient,' 'gave up,' and mentions 'I definitely fell apart mentally too, and that needs to be fixed as well.'
Doesn't really sound as anything has changed under Salazar, eh?"
Then the Johnson boys publish the above article, and no Malmo rebuttal? That is comical.
But actually, given the article, I retract my coment on Salazar. There are quotes in there from Salazar indicating that he appears to have attempted to proactively defuse the anticipated Webb reaction to a poor performance, given his state of fitness. So Salazar appears to be trying to work on Webb's mental approach, which has always been his downfall.
I think the article is fine. I have met Webb, talked with him, and observed him for many years from afar. He is overly critical of himself, and high-strung. This works in some sporting endeavors, but not necessarily in racing more than 400 meters.
Even on ESPN, after the race, you see Webb with this very serious, angry look on his face flash across the screen after the finish, then they pan to Willis smiling, laughing, hugging, and congratulating the guys who beat him. Two different mentalities. Both lost. One has an Olympic medal, the other runs fast in races with less pressure. Even Rojo's article says that after the meet, "At one point this group of athletes (including Nick Willis and Lukas Verzbicas) was taking fake starts out of starting blocks as they continued to joke around and have a good time."
I feel for Webb. I want him to succeed. Believe me, Malmo, et al., I am no derogating him for the sake of doing so. I wish him the best, and hope he gets help for the psychological side of his racing. This is his achilles heel.
Post Script: Webb is better than me; Malmo is better than me; Rojo and Wejo are better than me. I am not a high schooler. None of the above is new info, it is Webb's modus operandi. Will Malmo be counterpoint to Rojo in the purported podcast mentioned in the article?