Siebert From Beijing: World's Begin
8/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
2015 IAAF World Championships, Beijing China
The “Bird's Nest” stadium will host over 200 countries starting on August 22nd when the gun goes off for the IAAF World Championships.
As the meet gets underway, Coach Siebert shared some of her reflections on the start of competition.
Beijing, China
A sense of focus and determination can be seen on the faces of the USA athletes now that competition day has arrived. Prior to competition, athletes had the opportunity to complete a stadium “walk through” to catch a glimpse of what to expect on race day. The “Bird's Nest” stadium was abuzz as athletes tested out blocks, runways, pits, circles, and the track surface in a world-size pre meet. The atmosphere of the official competition track was chaotic, while also providing a sense of purpose as athletes familiarize themselves with meet day procedures.
After months of preparation, it is now time to step onto the world stage. While many elite athletes have spent the summer months travelling to various countries for Diamond League competitions and tune up meets, this is the first time that all of the top athletes will be joined together in a head to head battle.
Not only is the physical preparation phase important, but also at this stage in the season, mental focus is a primary factor. As I started the check out process for athletes heading over to competition today, I saw a shift in personalities. Some walked down to the lobby with headphones intact only giving a nod of their head in response to my uniform checklist. One athlete commented, “There is nothing that we can do now. The work is done and we just need to work with whatever comes at us today.”
Execution will be the key to success in these early rounds. Tactical competition is needed to conserve the most amount of energy. For throwers, there is a minimal mark for automatic qualification. If this is achieved early on, then they may save further attempts. For the runners, positioning is key as they fight for a spot amongst the top qualifiers.
Late night preparation meetings and early morning competition send offs are a part of the staff routine during this phase. However, nothing can surpass the sound of the National Anthem when a USA athlete wins a gold medal.
Complete results, medal counts, and information can be found at: http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships#
Go Terps!
Coach Siebert
