Get The Sprint Relay Right And Win
Says Kelvin Campbell
(Aug. 22, 2009): The sprint relay is said to be one of the most exciting relays in track and field. The U.S. had a long history of dominating this event at the Olympic Games. However, we have seen a big shift in dominance, where the U.S. is being seriously challenged or is loosing this event. This dominance was probably because in previous years the U.S. had the four fastest men in the world and could set up the running order however they wished. And they would still win, even without running the potentially fastest times.
Let’s talk about the real objective of the sprint relay, which is to get the baton around the track as smoothly and as quickly as possible. This can be achieved only by having several practice sessions together during the course of the season. However, on a professional level, that might not be able to be accomplished due the demographics of the runners.
Be that as it may, it is imperative that they have several practice sessions together during the weeks leading up to the competition. The goal is to attain perfect co-ordination between each pair of runners who will exchange. In other words, to execute a perfect exchange, the runners must practice.
One should understand that it’s the speed with which the baton goes through each exchange zone that is the most important matter. There are a few key ways to accomplish this; however, there are several other invented methods, which are usually seen at the high school level in the U.S., at events such as the Penn Relays and the Drake Relays.
The two methods that I consider most effective are the “silent” or “blind” pass, when no verbal call is made, and the “verbal-communication pass” when verbal commands are made by the incoming runner, such as "Go!” and “Reach!” These I have learned from Dennis Johnson, a son of Jamaica and one of the world’s greatest sprinters, who was coached by Bud Winter, one of the best in USA history. The silent pass is more effective for beginners while the verbal method is ideal for professional athletes, who might not have practiced together a lot, and have more at stake to lose at that level.
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The fly zone needs to be utilized as much as possible. Athletes should not be running into the back of one another.
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From my perspective, the best exchange is done at some point after the middle of the changeover zone, maybe two stride lengths from the end of the zone. This is so because the outgoing runner will have gained considerable speed at the time of the exchange, ensuring that the baton is passed in the zone with the fastest possible exchange.
The outgoing runner will stand at a point beyond the acceleration zone, which he or she determines by a heel-to-toe check system. The stance of the outgoing runner should always be forward and not sideways. That means, the outgoing runner should be in a crouching position, feet pointing straight in the direction in which that runner is going. In addition, the outing runner should not look behind when taking the baton.
When the incoming runner hits the checkpoint of the outgoing runner, the outgoing runner should take off as fast as possible, while the incoming runner maintain his or her speed. With the verbal pass, the command of “Stick” is given; in the case of the blind pass, the outgoing runner reaches a point in or beyond the middle of the exchange zone where his or her hand goes back to receive the baton. The incoming runner should keep going for about five to six meters after the change of the baton. The key thing to bear in mind is, speed doesn't always produce the quickest time, but a superb baton change does.
The baton should always be held at the bottom by the incoming runner, leaving room for the receiver to hold it comfortably at the other end, avoiding hand-to-hand contact by the runners. Any hand-to-hand contact could easily result in a botched pass or dropped baton. If the outgoing runner happens to grasp the baton in the middle, it should be fixed immediately and not while approaching the runner who will take it. The only time that it shouldn’t matter how the baton is held is when the runner is anchoring, simply because the anchor does not have to pass to anyone. However, that runner should run with the baton as comfortably as possible.
While speed and accuracy in passing the baton are key factors in winning, who runs where is just as important.
Let’s take a look at the men’s sprint relays in the 2007 World Championships. The U.S. won and Jamaica was second. The U.S. finally proved right that the fastest runner on the team does not necessarily have to run the anchor leg. If that were the case, The U.S. would have lost to Jamaica, which on the other hand had its fastest runner on the anchor leg, and lost.
I believe that if Jamaica had put its fastest man on the second leg to blow open the lead, allowing the others to hold the lead, the outcome might have been different. The same situation existed in the women’s sprint relay with Veronica Campbell, Jamaica’s ace, on anchor and running second to The U.S., which used its number one runner, Lauryn Williams to lead off.
Another example that supports my choice of changeover technique is that used by the British men’s 4x100 team at the 2004 Olympics. While none of its team members reached the final of the 100m, they passed the baton late in the zone rather than early, their passes were flawless, and their three fastest men ran the first three legs.
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While speed and accuracy in passing the baton are key factors in winning, who runs where is just as important.
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So here we are at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where all the world’s fastest runners have the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Jamaica has the world record in the 4x100m relay and the Americans, until they were disqualified yesterday, were poised to put up one of the fiercest challenges to break that record at this World Championships.
As we saw in the Olympic Games last year, the Americans didn’t make it around the track with the baton because of the lack of preparation regarding proper steps in the acceleration zone and because outgoing runners weren’t taking it out fast enough. This happens when teams have not worked together and most importantly, run regular circuits. As a result, it is more difficult to give the incoming runner appropriate steps and take it out with confidence.
Looking at the Jamaican men, I believe they think they have this relay wrapped up. Far from it if we look carefully at the sloppiness of their passes at the last Olympics. A team can always win when it has the four fast guys but the question is: does Jamaica want to only win or does it want to near-perfect the changes and break the world record again?
For this to happen, the fly zone needs to be utilized as much as possible. In addition, athletes should not be running into the back of one another. An example of this is Usain Bolt coming up on Asafa Powell too fast and catching him too early in the exchange zone. This should not happen if there’s going to be success as far as winning the 4x1 and breaking the world record.
Now let’s look at the American women. They have a tendency for the outgoing runner to put her hand back far too low, which means momentum is diminishing at a very fast rate. If the hand of the outgoing runner comes up at just around chest height, then the pass is in an upward position instead of a downward one. If this is done, the result will be a fast time and the possibility of a new world record.
Jamaica has the personnel to break the world record.