‘Luka could benefit from foreign coach’

As a youngster,Luka has fared well. She ran very well in the heats. But one thing on which she needs to work upon is her stamina. She looked tired in the later stages of the race and the rest of the athletes gained a lot in the last 200 metres. She has an experienced coach in the form of PT Usha and she is the best person to prepare the strategy for her. Olympics is a big stage and for a 23-year-old athlete from India,running in the semi-finals will boost her confidence a lot.

What is the best strategy that you think Luka should follow to improver her timings?

Most of us see 800 metres as a 100 metres or 200 metres race. But it’s not so,this race is different. One has to plan the race in phases and that comes with experience. When I took part in 1956 Olympics,I requested the 400 metres Champion Charles Jenker to share his schedule with me. For the next four years,I set the target of improving on his time. Luka could try the same thing. She should note down the time of the winner in the 800 m event in international races and should concentrate on reaching that second by second. Once she comes close to that,she will be automatically invited to big events in Europe and USA which will help her.

Do you believe that Luka needs more coaches or should be trained under a foreign coach alongside PT Usha?

Usha has been doing well with her. But if the need arises,we can always take the help of foreign coaches. There are various aspects to train for 800 metres. Sand running,hill running and repetitive running are equally important for Luka and she should seek training in every aspect. And that does not necessary mean training like 100 metres and 200 metres sprinters. She has to be mentally strong as well. When we trained,our Amercian coach Arthur Howard would also spend a lot of time with us. Racing in front of a packed stadium needs a lot of courage and she should learn how to handle pressure,which I believe she is short on at the moment.

What was the highlight of this Olympics for you?

I am amazed by the confidence which Usain Bolt shows,he was the star performer for me. The Jamaican delievers what he says and it takes a lot of confidence to do so. One of the positive things is that he takes confidence from the performance of fellow athletes from Jamaica. The top three in 200 metres were from Jamaica and with his gestures Bolt showed that that means a lot to him. And when one has a training partner as good as Yohan Blake,you can imagine what tough competition can do to you.