Jack, I don't know if "soft" is the right word.
Here's a new article about him, very sensitive to who he is. Grew up with that lisp, which he still has, teased, shy. Couldn't quite participate properly in team sports then was tested in a sprint which was freakishly fast. Still can hardly bear being interviewed. He shakes with nerves. Some interviewers have apparently wondered if he's retarded, even though he excels at math.
So, look, guys. There's more to an athlete than just muscles and tendons. For better or worse, part of the complete package is the head. Sadly Christophe wasn't blessed with a tough, resilient psychological makeup--in fact, quite the opposite. This has been his curse, and it's not something that just magically goew away. I think it may be time to consider the unthinkable: it's likely that the only reason he's made it this far is that the fatherly Carraz has delayed his retirement to help him, and that he gets to run with his good friends (and slowpokes). It's likely that for someone with Christophe's issues it takes a lot of love and coddling, and Carraz and Pesseneaux, etc understand and provide that. Could he have done better with another coach? The truth is, if Carraz had retired, Christophe might not have made it at all in another training group. It would have been great, physically, for him to train with Vicaut or some Americans, but he probably would have broken down and quit before seeing any benefits.
Even the argument that Carraz should have been telling him he can beat Bolt. I get it, but isn't it also possible that every athlete's head isn't the same, and that Carraz knows and understands Christophe better than us? Maybe he knows that Christophe would be psychologically devastated if he assumed he could beat Bolt then lost? For all we know, he's seen the kid devastated by losses in the past.
Anyway, worth thinking about.
