Christophe Lemaitre "White Lightning" 9.92 and 19.80!

trackster · Aug 22, 2012

Even though I've pretty much thrown in the towel after all the boards seem to have been taken over by extremists (not my bag, sorry), I did want to post this article for the people (if there are any left) who used the boards primarily to follow a few favorite athletes--primarily Christophe. It concerns some of the stuff that was debated in the aftermath of Christophe's Olympic debacle. We got mad at Carraz, then mad at Christophe. Then some defenders got mad at those of us who were critical.

Well, we see early on that Christophe was highly critical of himself. Now guess who else is publicly criticizing him--for the same reasons we have on this board? Pierre Carraz! That's right. The coach himself has come out and attacked Christophe, and in a fairly scathing manner. This is really the second blast of criticism from Carraz. This time he takes off the gloves and accuses Christophe of a "lack of professionalism" (basically summarizing what many of us argued) and claims that Christophe LOST THREE POUNDS OF MUSCLE in July, and that he tested MUCH more poorly just before the Olympics than he did earlier. In particular, he points to Christophe's unprofessional diet, and, without saying so explicitly, he seems to hope that Christophe has gotten his head on straight after a week's vacation.

So there you have it. I suppose one of the things we've always liked about Christophe has been his lack of professionalism. It's been great to watch a skinny amateur hang in there with the roiders. But when he reached his ceiling, I guess we all (including Carraz) wanted to see him become a bit more professional.

http://translate.google.com/transla...a=X&ei=U7k0ULWeOIrr0gGJpIHwDg&ved=0CD4Q7gEwAA

trackster · Aug 22, 2012

A small correction. I just checked and the translation makes an error. Christophe didn't lose three pounds of muscle. He 3 KILOS of muscle before the Olympics.

3 pounds could have been a daily fluctuation. 3 kilos (that's 6.6 pounds) is a legitimate loss, especially for someone with no body fat.

harold · Aug 22, 2012

i personally think it is time for extremism ,have you looked at what a certain race
is doing to sprints especially and athletics as whole for your own kind by sheer numbers alone
and by any means nessary , largely being the uber parasite that know they are .

what is extremism anyway but having strong ideals and not comprimising them .
is that how athletics and society is getting into state is now ,if keep going way is then you will have no
lemaitre's to follow . so wake up and see the whole picture before to late.
and stop pandering to these lefty bastards and how suppose to think and behave , if do as they want
wont be any european origin athletes to follow .
so get extreme and stop following these multicultural ideals and being mister nice guy ,as leads to where are now.
never back down ,and never sell out .

harold · Aug 22, 2012

with lemaitre
seems clear that he is to nice (why like him) ,for the cut-troat ,by any means possible ,world of sprinting .
but done so much already to be proud of.
how did he lose weight ,was he ill at any stage also

harold · Aug 22, 2012

forgive me for rant .
more extreme views might not be to your taste,
but have to agree that extremism has its place in
many societies and circumstances ,especially the way society stands today .
for it to function cant all be extremist but have to appriciate what they do for each other ,and how promotes a europe that can be proud of and not turn into some multicultural hellhole .

elispeedster · Aug 22, 2012

trackster said:
Even though I've pretty much thrown in the towel after all the boards seem to have been taken over by extremists (not my bag, sorry), I did want to post this article for the people (if there are any left) who used the boards primarily to follow a few favorite athletes--primarily Christophe. It concerns some of the stuff that was debated in the aftermath of Christophe's Olympic debacle. We got mad at Carraz, then mad at Christophe. Then some defenders got mad at those of us who were critical.

Well, we see early on that Christophe was highly critical of himself. Now guess who else is publicly criticizing him--for the same reasons we have on this board? Pierre Carraz! That's right. The coach himself has come out and attacked Christophe, and in a fairly scathing manner. This is really the second blast of criticism from Carraz. This time he takes off the gloves and accuses Christophe of a "lack of professionalism" (basically summarizing what many of us argued) and claims that Christophe LOST THREE POUNDS OF MUSCLE in July, and that he tested MUCH more poorly just before the Olympics than he did earlier. In particular, he points to Christophe's unprofessional diet, and, without saying so explicitly, he seems to hope that Christophe has gotten his head on straight after a week's vacation.

So there you have it. I suppose one of the things we've always liked about Christophe has been his lack of professionalism. It's been great to watch a skinny amateur hang in there with the roiders. But when he reached his ceiling, I guess we all (including Carraz) wanted to see him become a bit more professional.

http://translate.google.com/transla...a=X&ei=U7k0ULWeOIrr0gGJpIHwDg&ved=0CD4Q7gEwAA

I always unfairly blamed Carraz's training methods, when in fact, it is not...it is Chrisopeh himself who seems stubborn in regards to lifting, diet, etc...Carraz's problem is motivating Christophe. I think Carrraz old age is a factor; may not have the same energy and spunk as when he was younger to push Lemaitre. Christophe may need a younger mentor to take his hand and lead him. Pierre Carraz has done well in developing Lemaitre and i salute him for that.

Keyser Soze · Aug 22, 2012

trackster said:
(basically summarizing what many of us argued) and claims that Christophe LOST THREE POUNDS OF MUSCLE in July, and that he tested MUCH more poorly just before the Olympics than he did earlier.A

Look at his legs in this recent pic..

he looks like a 800m runner!!! he had more muscle bulk in May, and I remenber remarking him that he was bulkier than last year....

elispeedster · Aug 22, 2012

harold said:
with lemaitre
seems clear that he is to nice (why like him) ,for the cut-troat ,by any means possible ,world of sprinting .
but done so much already to be proud of.
how did he lose weight ,was he ill at any stage also

Could be nerves, stopped lifitng, maybe was ill...He was not ready. Considering, he did manage to run 20.03 in his semi, so had he been in top shape with a good lane - 19.7 and bronze should not have been a problem. It starting to seem Lemaitre problem could be more psychological. He may feel intimated by the times Bolt and friends are running, and may think he wont catch up to them. But he should realize he has the most upside, and needs not to be afraid, and needs to Lift Heavy and Diet properly.

10 Pounds of muscle, Double body weight in squatting and deadlift, good Olympic lifting power will build him the power to blast out of the blocks at full speed, and maintian a good bend on the 200. I know I repeated this many times. But it is so dam obvious on what is wrong.

mastermulti · Aug 22, 2012

trackster said:
Even though I've pretty much thrown in the towel after all the boards seem to have been taken over by extremists (not my bag, sorry), I did want to post this article for the people (if there are any left) who used the boards primarily to follow a few favorite athletes--primarily Christophe. It concerns some of the stuff that was debated in the aftermath of Christophe's Olympic debacle. We got mad at Carraz, then mad at Christophe. Then some defenders got mad at those of us who were critical.

Well, we see early on that Christophe was highly critical of himself. Now guess who else is publicly criticizing him--for the same reasons we have on this board? Pierre Carraz! That's right. The coach himself has come out and attacked Christophe, and in a fairly scathing manner. This is really the second blast of criticism from Carraz. This time he takes off the gloves and accuses Christophe of a "lack of professionalism" (basically summarizing what many of us argued) and claims that Christophe LOST THREE POUNDS OF MUSCLE in July, and that he tested MUCH more poorly just before the Olympics than he did earlier. In particular, he points to Christophe's unprofessional diet, and, without saying so explicitly, he seems to hope that Christophe has gotten his head on straight after a week's vacation.]

with you on all counts Trackster. In fact there are quite a few hundred thousand dumb white Aussie bogans (rednecks) I'd expel from Australia in order to make way for some hard workers of ANY other nationality. I feel I have much more in common with the latter.

I wish a week's vacation WOULD set Christophe's head right but I have entrenched doubts about him now. I will follow him for a while longer but to me he has the wrong "head" to be a major success. By his demeanour he doesn't seem to relish the challenge or liven up the stadium with a cheery wave or some fooling around that says "I'm meant to be here". Instead we get a mopey face and huffing and puffing at the end of 200 metres as if he's run a quick mile. He needs an air of self belief and self containment and I'm not sure you can maunfacture these.
If we want a role model for white kids to see themselves as potential sprinters we need someone who can show it's fun.

LoLy · Aug 23, 2012

elispeedster said:
I always unfairly blamed Carraz's training methods, when in fact, it is not...it is Chrisopeh himself who seems stubborn in regards to lifting, diet, etc...Carraz's problem is motivating Christophe. I think Carrraz old age is a factor; may not have the same energy and spunk as when he was younger to push Lemaitre. Christophe may need a younger mentor to take his hand and lead him. Pierre Carraz has done well in developing Lemaitre and i salute him for that.

100% agreed

LoLy · Aug 23, 2012

today in Lausanne Jimmy Vicaud, the new young french contender of Lemaitre ran 10.02 with a 0.1 headwind.
He'll probably run below 10 before the end of the season.
Next year, If Lemaitre doesn't get more professional, he might not be the fastest European on 100m.
Let's hope this situation will push him in the right direction.

harold · Aug 23, 2012

go easy on him ,

at least he is not pretending
why does he need to be gesticulating before race
for attention , when they are simply there to race
i liked the 100m when it was at is purest and simplest
none of this ,so called entertainment. he is not bolt , a complete attention
seekng whore ,which is a plus .
as a sport is very basic anyway ,not great to watch live
more to do with prestige and times than anything .
we all know he has bothers with breathing at end of race
but no bid deal , it is after race so doesnt matter ,and minor detail .
here to celebrate the guy ,not bash him .

yes master , any nationalites bar african .
wake up tae **** . every country has its deadbeats ,their choice.
wonder what rebajilo would have to say on such matter .

white lightning · Aug 23, 2012

First off, guys like Yohan Blake, Bolt, Powell and a few others are obviously juiced to the gills. Christophe should know this by now. He will need to decide how important sprinting is in his life. If it were me with that kind of God given talent, the decision would be easy. I would stop at nothing to take it to the next level. Even as a clean athlete/sprinter, Christophe can go a long ways. He has to dedicate every aspect of his life to becoming the best that he can be.

He should go watch some tapes of how hard guys like Allan Wells and Borzov worked out. Wells even did alot of sparring with a speed bag as he believed boxing helped to improve his speed. Who could argue with him as he won an olympic gold medal. Maybe they could bring on some guys as advisors to Caraz. Regardless, he needs to listen to his coach whomever that may be. NO MORE CHEATING ON THE DIET OR IN THE WEIGHT ROOM CHRISTOPHE! It's time for him to become a man before he lets that talent go down the drain.

Christophe is the ultimate competitor on the track but he needs to be a warrior off the track too. Only the guys who work that hardest on and off the track will be remembered decades from now. I hope he has got the message. Vicaut and many others will leave him standing in their dust if he doesn't fix things. It's now or never Christophe. We love you. Go show the world what your made of!

Tside · Aug 23, 2012

Yes I agree. The most talented natural sprinter ever and a nice guy too. I will always remember how well he has done. Very proud.BUT what is bothering me the most is these juiced up Jamaicans. Look at that Blake running 9.69 into a wind and smoking Tyson Gay at Lausanne yesterday. FAKE. The guy is a cheat. Bolt. Cheat aswell. When are the IAAF going to stop this Bulls**t.

RAUL · Aug 24, 2012

CL will race in 30 august in zurich and in 7 september in brussels,hope to run a good time in his last race,2 sub 10 will be like sugar on his olympic performance

greyghost · Aug 24, 2012

peace

have to say great posts guys .. ie making our peace with christophe...as WL said i am sure he knows the rest are juicing ...otherwise i am glad trackster and harald had a bit of a rant

...it means we are all just human( and i have an excuse to rant in the future)......also looking forward to just seeing him ie CL race and gaining confidence again ...carraz has his work cut out with CL , he is not the easiest and note an athlete has to believe he will benefit sometimes going backwards first...and i have heard i few rumours that CL wasnt 100%..therefore interfering with his mindset...not just the physical..

peace guys and he will be back..nb shunenkov ..when this guy stops hitting hurdles there is a sub 13 on the cards

Rebajlo · Aug 24, 2012

mastermulti said:
with you on all counts Trackster. In fact there are quite a few hundred thousand dumb white Aussie bogans (rednecks) I'd expel from Australia in order to make way for some hard workers of ANY other nationality. I feel I have much more in common with the latter.

As I don't wish to take this flagship 208-page thread off topic, yet want to provide a response to my fellow Australian's comment above I've opened a thread in Happy Hour just to say my bit:

http://www.castefootball.us/forums/...b-White-Aussie-Bogans-(Rednecks)-quot-Comment

mastermulti -

Feel free to respond...

harold said:
wonder what rebajilo would have to say on such matter

harold -

Click on the above link to see exactly what I have to say on such a matter...

Tside · Aug 27, 2012

Christophe is running in the Zurich 100m on 30th August 2012.He has a strong field against him, Blake, Gay, etc...A sub 10 seconds would be a nice result. CL needs to salvage at least something from this horrible season.

trackster · Aug 29, 2012

Sadly, but predictably, Christophe has already decided he will run a poor time in Zurich. He says he is not fit and lacks training and will simply run "for fun." I wish I was making this up:

Under what sign do you put your end of the season, Zurich and Brussels of 200 m? CL: I'll get something I've never really done since I'm in the pro circuit, running 100% for fun. That is to say, I'm not trying to chrono, I do not seek a place. I am aware that after a week of rest and four drives that are far from what I had before the games, I do not expect to make a big time. It was expected to resume after the Olympic 100m. There is less work. 200m should be another preparation which is lactic acid.
N o ambition chronometric Zurich despite the sting of Jamaican Yohan Blake?
CL: Even for fun, I'll run to the bottom. There is confrontation and that Blake happening now time to make guns. At the meeting and competition, there is everything you need to run. What I miss is the fitness and training. That is why I say that I am not able to do a good lap. I fit in 10 seconds and something, maybe a little less. If I improve my performance was better (10 "04, note), this would truly be a feat.

He also says that Carraz will continue to coach him next year, that Carraz says there will be changes, but Christophe seems to think training will be basically the same.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.eurosport.fr/athletisme/athletissima/2012/lemaitre-pour-le-plaisir_sto3404568/story.shtml&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.eurosport.fr/athletisme/athletissima/2012/lemaitre-pour-le-plaisir_sto3404568/story.shtml%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3Dg8U%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US

fficial%26prmd%3Dimvns&sa=X&ei=lnY-UP_iHcbv0gG324DwCw&ved=0CCMQ7gEwAA

white lightning · Aug 29, 2012

What we are seeing here is the greatest white sprinter to ever grace the earth going in reverse. It is the fault of both Christophe and his coach for allowing this to happen. I'm disgusted with the whole situation. There are plenty of 10.20's to 10.30's guys that train harder and have more hunger to reach the top. What an absolute joke! Wake up Christophe before it's too late!

albinosprint · Aug 30, 2012

what a shame. well I'll keep my fingers crossed that his "fun run" will keep him relaxed enough to motor to a SB and maybe even a PR. though I'm not getting my hope up.

lactatking · Aug 30, 2012

100m ZÃ¼rich 2012

Wind:+1.4
Rang Athlet Nation Resultat Reaktionszeit
1 BLAKE Yohan JAM 9.76 MR 0.146
2 CARTER Nesta JAM 9.95 =SB 0.142
3 BAILEY Ryan USA 9.97 0.149
4 COLLINS Kim SKN 10.01 SB 0.155
5 FRATER Michael JAM 10.04 0.156
6 LEMAITRE Christophe FRA 10.07 0.143
7 PATTON Darvis USA 10.08 0.137
8 SAIDY NDURE NOR 10.19 0.128 GAY Tyson USA DQ R 162.7

white lightning · Aug 30, 2012

Christophe ran a time about where I expected. At least he was still in the sub 10.10 range and it's late in the season. His reaction time was good but he just doesn't have that extra gear we are used to seeing him have. One more race and it's time for the off season. This off season training will either make or break his career potentially. Either he will get back to that elite level of the top sprinters on the planet or he will slowly regress year by year like he did this summer. My hope is that he has the mentality of a caged animal and he will do what ever it takes to become the best. Time will tell. I hope Caraz at least gets some other coach's to help with additional training methods. Then he needs a dietician and a world class strength coach. If Christophe can do these things, the future will be incredible. I am keeping my fingers crossed and I just wish him the best of luck. We are only hard on him and his coach because we want him to reach his full potential. Everyone here loves the kid and we want him to eventually overtake the yamaicans!

elispeedster · Aug 30, 2012

white lightning said:
Christophe ran a time about where I expected. At least he was still in the sub 10.10 range and it's late in the season. His reaction time was good but he just doesn't have that extra gear we are used to seeing him have. One more race and it's time for the off season. This off season training will either make or break his career potentially. Either he will get back to that elite level of the top sprinters on the planet or he will slowly regress year by year like he did this summer. My hope is that he has the mentality of a caged animal and he will do what ever it takes to become the best. Time will tell. I hope Caraz at least gets some other coach's to help with additional training methods. Then he needs a dietician and a world class strength coach. If Christophe can do these things, the future will be incredible. I am keeping my fingers crossed and I just wish him the best of luck. We are only hard on him and his coach because we want him to reach his full potential. Everyone here loves the kid and we want him to eventually overtake the yamaicans!

He needs to get stronger; 4x weight workouts per week, and should skip the indoor season completely and train for pure power, then use that power before start of spring to blend in with his natural speed. If he does not get stronger, then he can forget about progressing.The only reason he stalled this year, beginning with his indoor season, is simply, he is not stronger and admitted it himself about his hatred for weight lifting etc.. There is no other way around it - strenght. Carraz knows what to do, he just has a hard time getting through Christophe's spoiled self.

white is right · Aug 31, 2012

white lightning said:
Christophe ran a time about where I expected. At least he was still in the sub 10.10 range and it's late in the season. His reaction time was good but he just doesn't have that extra gear we are used to seeing him have. One more race and it's time for the off season. This off season training will either make or break his career potentially. Either he will get back to that elite level of the top sprinters on the planet or he will slowly regress year by year like he did this summer. My hope is that he has the mentality of a caged animal and he will do what ever it takes to become the best. Time will tell. I hope Caraz at least gets some other coach's to help with additional training methods. Then he needs a dietician and a world class strength coach. If Christophe can do these things, the future will be incredible. I am keeping my fingers crossed and I just wish him the best of luck. We are only hard on him and his coach because we want him to reach his full potential. Everyone here loves the kid and we want him to eventually overtake the yamaicans!

I'm not saying 10.07 is a great time but it was in the rain and not humid or paticularly hot. So that time in perfect conditions with humidity is a sub 10 and could potentially break his pb with decent tailwind. I actually think his 100 meter race is roughly on par with last season as he ran in better conditions last year and caught good tailwinds. This season it was cold in the early summer in Europe and he ran a soft schedule in anticipation of the Olympics. What was more disturbing to me was the lack of fitness for his seasonal speciality of the 200 and the clear regression in that event. I suspose that if team Lemaitre had a crystal ball they would have ran the 100 and dropped the deuce with times he ran this season.

Christophe Lemaitre "White Lightning" 9.92 and 19.80!

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