"Women weaken legs, Rock!" At least the US readers are going to get why, after reading this quote, I've decided that Pierre Carraz's resemblance to Mick in the Rocky movies is more than merely physical:
Pierre Carraz recalls: "Before the London Olympics in 2012, he had a 19'91 in a meeting, he had become very strong. But his girlfriend came down south for an internship and he ate (no) more. He lost 3 kilos. In London he had no more strength. "
Of course, there's something to be said for the wisdom of these crusty, old coaches. Studies have now shown that refraining from sex (or any orgasm) for a few days causes testosterone levels to double. LeMaitre's pre-London sexfest apparently destroyed him, at a time when he seemed like a certainty for a medal. I hope it was worth it.
Another quote from the article mentions LeMaitre's training. Some of the words don't seem translated correctly, but I don't have a sports vocabulary in French:
Trade secret? Race, series, cladding, stretching. Classic, after all. Little weight "because it slows down." And these elastic back for draw weight like a convict. While old method, but it works. The National Institute of Sport, expertise and performance in Paris is this too, but more computerized and with cables. INSEP has done much to recover the Savoyard nugget. Without success. "Christophe's sponsors also wanted it moved to Paris, for them the capital was better to champion a town of 35,000 inhabitants," says Pierre Carraz.
