Christophe Lemaitre "White Lightning" 9.92 and 19.80!

[freddie]

Chambers wins semi-final #2 (out of 3) with a 10.10 clocking and a -0.1m/s wind.

 

[white lightning]

Nothing but positive energy for the man of the hour. We need to see history here. I want to see Christophe win the gold and break his p.b. in the process. I hope he isn't too tired. That wind and the minor injuries can take alot out of you. I wish he would have had the 2nd race with virtually no wind instead of the strongest wind of the day to run into. Oh well. He is 20 years of age and I think he is still ready to show what he is made of!

I didn't nickname him PepeLeFlew for nothing. The guy can flat out fly!

Come on Christophe. Let's do this!

 

[albinosprint]

I really think he is going to do it! Gold in a new PB for Pepe!

 

[white lightning]

This is too close to call. If I have to make a prediciton I will go with Lemaitre winning in a new p.b. of 9.95 and PED Chambo 2nd in 9.98! The time isn't as important as Christophe becoming European 100 Meters Champion at only 20 years of age. That would add to his already legendary short career so far. He has won all of the major championships he has entered so far.

He won the gold medal the World Junior Championships in the 200 at 18!

Then he won the gold medal at the European Junior Champs in the 100 at 19 years of age!

If he can add the gold at the European Championships in his first major champs as a senior would be great. He is 20 and this would be phenomenal. His only mess up was when he was disqualified at the World Champs last summer. Other than that he has been perfect and he has also won the French National Champs multiple times. What a legend and his career has only begun.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

as i said in another thread:

Christophe's reaction times aren't special to me, for either good or bad. but what really stands out to me is how far (or rather how not far, if i may put it that way) his first 2 strides take him compared to the black elites. this is a HUGE hurdle that he is combatting now and will have to overcome in the future to challenge for a podium at a World meet.

with added strength this staggeringly BIG differential will be reduced, and consequently so will his times.

for him to be running the times he is with this startling handicap, not to mention his skeletal-by-comparison bodyframe, shows just how much natural talent he has. he is truly a gifted athlete, and will only improve with age, experience, and muscle strength. his strength of will is already indomitable.

 

[white lightning]

I agree mate. Lemaitre just has that killer instinct that all great champions have. Other sprinters are starting to fear him and he is still just a kid. I have never seen such a skinny, natural sprinter with such jaw dropping speed. I'm talking white or black. He is truely from another world. If he can eventually develop the power of a Shirvo, look out. The guy will challenge anyone in a couple more years. Simply born to run! The kid is incredible!

 

[albinosprint]

just think, if he can get down to 9.8x he will be the fastest clean sprinter ever!

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

just think, if he can get down to 9.8x he will be the fastest clean sprinter ever!

good point.

i was actually asking white lightning just a few days ago who were the fastest clean runners in history. it would be nice if one of you experienced and historically knowledgable track guys could research this and post it (complete with links and such for various times and drug punishments, etc.).

it would do amazing things, i think, for future "discussions" with the DWFs.

 

[albinosprint]

I think allot of the black runners start off clean, but want the WR so bad they turn to drugs. I think Leroy Burrel and Mike Marsh were clean. those are 2 I can pull out of my head.

 

[white lightning]

I disagree with Burrel. He was on the juice in my opinion. Marsh might have been natural. How about going back to the days before peds were common. Guys like Morrow, Sime and Harry. That is a good start.

 

[albinosprint]

Morrow, Sime and Harry, thats as clean as it gets!

 

[white lightning]

Congrats to Christophe on winning the title of the fastest man in Europe. He already had the fastest times in the 100 & 200 of anyone in Europe coming into these European Championships. It's only deserving that he went out and won the title. He now has won three gold medals in major championships. I cannot describe in words how happy I am right now.

The Man. The Legend. The Phenom. Christophe Lemaitre!

 

[Liverlips]

Sweet!

 

[white lightning]

For those of you who missed it. Here is Christophe taking home the gold medal! Hell yeah!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CHRISTOPHELEMAITRE?feature=chclk

 

[freddie]

Thanks so much WL for posting the YouTube. It was a totally inspiring run - stunning, in fact.All things considered the time excellent too as: hishead/shoulderswent BACK on the "set" command; his reaction time was appalling (0.224); there was a substantial headwind (-1.0); the Barcelona Airport Temperature was77F (25C) - andhotter is better for many athletes; finally, the humidity was very high (79%) so the air was dense. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
I couldn't count his strides at full speed - I think it was 43 (to a foot short of the line). Does anyone know how to slow <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">YouTube[/I] down?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

when i celebrate, music is an integral part of my joy. so i thought i'd share some music that i'm blasting now that The Master has mastered all of Europe.

Christophe is Unstoppable ...

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoaUYcwEpSw[/tube]

in his mind he believes You Can't Stop Me...

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfxlzq2Nfno[/tube]

can you hear all the haters now? me neither, so Enjoy the Silence ...

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx58hXh4pVA[/tube]

he is showing that it can be done. he has begun the Uprising ...

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8KQmps-Sog[/tube]

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

now that the immediate euphoria has passed, i'm gonna bask in happiness with a littlegroove, 'cause i'm Feeling Good. care to join me?

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PN6egPgazA[/tube]

 

[freedom1]

RankAthlete Nation Result

1LEMAITRE, ChristopheFRA 10.11

2LEWIS-FRANCIS, MarkGBR 10.18 SB

3MBANDJOCK, MartialFRA 10.18

4OBIKWELU, FrancisPOR 10.18 SB

5CHAMBERS, DwainGBR 10.18

6SAIDY NDURE, JaysumaNOR 10.31

7DI GREGORIO, EmanueleITA 10.34

COLLIO, SimoneITA

 

[freedom1]

Christophe is in heat number 2 tomorrow for the 200.

LaneAthlete Nation YoBPB
SB
1MOSELEY, RyanAUT 82 20.83
20.96
2LAWAL-BALOGUN, JeffreyGBR 86 20.38
20.52
3WILSON, AlexSUI 90 20.93
20.93
4SCHNELTING, DanielGER 86 20.53
20.61
5OSOVNIKAR, MaticSLO 80 20.47
21.36
6SZETEI, PetrCZE 84 20.74
20.74
7LEMAITRE, ChristopheFRA 90 20.16
20.16
8ABRANTES, ArnaldoPOR 86 20.48
20.72

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Congrats to Christophe Lemaitre!!! Awesome performances!

 

[freddie]

It's getting difficult to find something new to say about CL, but reading the reports of the European Championship 100m final race two contrasting things are clear: 1] the media still refuse to understand the talent of Lemaitre; and 2] Chambers and Obikwelu -hismain competitors - fully understand his talent. Having someone go from a meter behind to nearly a metre ahead in a short 50 meters will tend to have a clarifying effect on one's thinking. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
The British media are praising Lewis-Francis - a guy busted for cocaine, who missed two drug tests, and had to disappear from the scene for a year - and Chambers- banned for two years for a designer steroid - yet can't see thepotential in Lemaitre. Is it the quality of the reporter's knowledge or just another example of media racism and stereotyping?

 

[waterbed]

awesome that he won the final he did run it with -1.0 wind and reaction time of 0.224 , does anybody know the reaction of him in his semi? that was an incredible performance 10.06 -1.2 wind , if his reaction time was slower then 0.16 s. in the semi then it was even better, pure looking et running( minus reaction time) and taking in the wind then his final.To me this were his best runs ever pure looking at speed.

 

[waterbed]

In some races his reaction time was 0.16 seconds so he is capable of that, so that would be 0.06 seconds better then he did in the final with 0.22, -1.0 wind slows him like 0.06 s down, so that will mean he showed today he is already capable of a sub 10(9.99) run without pushing wind.I just try to explain what was so special about his performance today.

 

[freddie]

Waterbed: CL's reaction time in the semis was 0.175.

 

[white lightning]

What a day. What a week. What a summer so far. This is setting up very nice for the future. This kid can change the face of sprinting or at least what people thought was possible. I saw many kids in the stadium who were so excited. Lemaitre spent so much time giving high fives to the fans and signing autographs. They just don't get any nicer than this kid. Here isa much longer video of the race with him taking the lap of honor. Congrats Christophe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUeQf5QcPP8&amp;playnext=1&amp;videos=PKQjKBQD-NU