Restarting the start: To shave milliseconds, India's fastest man Animesh Kujur fine-tunes technique, one step at a time

Indian Express

4 days ago

Animesh Kujur has been on a record-breaking run. He was part of the team that breached the 4x100m national mark. He broke the 200m national record twice. Then, earlier this month, he shattered the 100m mark too.
But Kujur, the 22-year-old sprinter, knows the importance of getting faster than he already is. So, he and his coach Martin Owens shifted base to Europe last month, where he trained and competed. The plan worked.
In Geneva last month, Animesh ran the 200m in 20.27 seconds, the fastest-ever time by an Indian in the race. However, it didn't make it to the record books because of a wind assistance of +2.3 m/s. Days later, in Athens, he broke the national record, clocking 10.18s. It was his first international 100m race.
As much as these runs have been fast, in an Indian context, it was a fifth-place finish that gave him a proper insight as to where he actually stands. At the Under-23 race of the Monaco Diamond League, Animesh lined up alongside Australian teen sensation Gout Gout, who is being compared to a young Usain Bolt. Animesh clocked 20.55m and finished fourth; Gout Gout won with 20.10 in a race with a strong headwind.
Animesh's coach Owens said the race gave them a lot to ponder. 'It is going to be a gradual improvement for him, and we need to be patient with that. When I saw the splits from the Monaco DL race, Gout Gout was quicker every 10 metres. He started well and accelerated till 40 metres, kept his pace uniform and then after 130m raced to his victory. This is something we have to work on. I want Animesh to be quicker every 10m section he crosses,' Owens said.
To bridge this gap, the coach-athlete duo moved their base to the Swiss Olympic Medical Centre in the quaint village of Magglingen, where Europe's elite athletes train. And they began right from the start, under the watchful eyes of Bobsleigh strength and conditioning coach Chris Wolley.
The first thing Animesh worked on during his time with Wolley was the first two strides he took and the placement of the starting blocks. Measuring 6 feet and two inches, relatively tall for a sprinter like Bolt, a good start has not been his strong suit. The starting blocks for a sprinter are like a launchpad for a rocket. He has made a major change, too.
'I have changed the angle of the blocks; it is angled a little towards the inward track, and this results in me getting off much better,' Animesh said. Wolley also helped him to improve his start. 'He (Wolley) worked on my body mechanics, which resulted in giving me a better, more explosive start,' Animesh added.
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Explaining the importance of the first two strides, Owens said, 'The initial strides set him up for a better race. The first couple of strides aren't always as fast as they can be, but they are better mechanically for setting him up for the race. So, we have worked on those first two strides,' Owens said.
Animesh also had other areas to improve, like trying to reduce the tightening of the hamstrings and lower back, which can reduce speed.
'When I came here, Chris assessed me first. He asked me to do multiple exercises in different positions and took note of where the problem lies. His assessment said that my hamstrings and lower back are tight while running, which leads to a poor start and acceleration,' Animesh said.
Wolley focused on movement patterns and exercises to loosen him up, like dynamic hamstring leg swings and cat-cow stretch. 'This helps in activating the hamstring dynamically,' Animesh explained. 'I did these exercises continuously for one week. After one week, I could see the difference in my start. There were subtle improvements of 0.1 and 0.05 seconds,' Animesh said.
The equipment at the Swiss Olympic centre further helped Animesh to gauge his progress, technically speaking, in both 200m and 100m. 'We were spoiled for choice here in Magglingen with machines like 1080 sprint and Kaiser gears. The 1080 machine helped him with resistance (like running against a pulling force) and assistance (like being pulled forward) running training. It offered detailed feedback on each step to us, leading to further, more insightful improvement,' the sprinter added.
Animesh holds the national record in both 100m (10.18s) and 200m (20.32s). But 200m has been the favourite event of the sprinter from Chhattisgarh since the beginning. 'I just do the 100m for explosive starts because if I implement the 100m start in the 200m, it immediately improves my timing,' he quipped.
While both 100m and 200m are counted as sprints, the technical difference between the execution of both races is huge. Explaining what the difference is, Animesh said, 'The basic difference is that 100m is all about power while 200m is all about speed and endurance. Since I run 200m, 100m is very easy for me as compared to the 100m sprinters. I can easily maintain my shape and endure the finish. In 200m, the last 20m is extremely difficult.'
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200m has a very important element of the curve. In 100m, the athletes start and finish in a straight line, while in 200m, they start from a curve and finish in a straight line. 'The bend is extremely crucial in 200m, but as far as I'm concerned, if there is a good start, the bend doesn't matter much. Anyway, I prefer the fourth or fifth lanes because they give me the scope to take advantage of my height and overtake the field,' Animesh said.
Coach Owens wants him to keep running in both the sprint events. 'The 100m helps him in getting explosive starts for the 200m while the endurance of the 200m helps him finish better in the 100m race,' Owens said while emphasising the link between the two races.
Animesh's next stop is the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, this week. But he has set his sights on bigger targets. 'I have improved from last year, and the season is still in front of me. My target is to qualify for the World Championships and achieve a direct qualification,' Animesh said.
200m NR: 20.40s at Federation Cup, Kochi
4*100m NR: 38.69s at National Open Relay, Chandigarh
200m NR: 20.32s at Asian Athletics Championships, Korea
200m fastest timing: 20.27s at Geneva Athletics
100m NR: 10.18s at Dromia International Sprint, Athens