Craig Pickering

[white lightning]

I was just glancing at Pickerings times from this season outdoors in the 100 and noticed that he has run into a negative wind 6 times in 10 races. Between that and injuries, those factors can slow anyone down. I'm not trying to make excuses for him but he probably would have run at least a little faster if it wasn't due to the circumstances. With the sprints starting in two days, let's hope he can turn it around and light up the track in China. It would be incredible to just see him make a olympic final in the 100! Anything less than the semi finals would be a disapointment. Good luck to Craig and the other British Athletes.

 

[Guest]

Pickering, Matic Osovnikar and Fabio Cerutti will make the semis and possibly Cerutti making the final.

 

[white is right]

Not really a Pickeing thing but here is the starting list before scratches of the mens 100. Massoud Azizi [AFGHANISTAN] AFG 11.11
Churandy Martina [NETHERLANDS ANTILLES] AHO 10.00 10.00
Daniel Bailey [ANTIGUA & BARBUDA] ANT 10.12 10.12
Brendan Christian [ANTIGUA & BARBUDA] ANT 10.11 10.11
Shanahan Sanitoa [AMERICAN SAMOA] ASA
Ruslan Abbasov [AZERBAIJAN] AZE 10.31 10.28
Derrick Atkins [BAHAMAS] BAH 10.02 9.91
Mohamed Abu Abdullah [BANGLADESH] BAN
Andrew Hinds [BARBADOS] BAR 10.16 10.16
Vicente de Lima [BRAZIL] BRA 10.26 10.13
José Carlos Moreira [BRAZIL] BRA 10.25 10.16
Sandro Viana [BRAZIL] BRA 10.19 10.19
Desislav Gunev [BULGARIA] BUL 10.27 10.27
Idrissa Sanou [BURKINA FASO] BUR 10.54 10.14
Béranger Bosse [CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC] CAF 10.62 10.38
Pierre Browne [CANADA] CAN 10.19 10.12
Jared Connaughton [CANADA] CAN 10.15 10.15
Anson Henry [CANADA] CAN 10.23 10.12
Kermeliss Olonghot [CONGO] CGO
Moumi Sebergue [CHAD] CHA
Kai Hu [PR OF CHINA] CHN 10.24 10.24
Gordon Teokotai Heather [COOK ISLANDS] COK 11.57 11.57
Daniel Grueso [COLOMBIA] COL 10.24 10.24
Mhadjou Youssouf [COMOROS] COM 10.68 10.68
Henry Vizcaíno [CUBA] CUB 10.25 10.18
Lukáš Milo [CZECH REPUBLIC] CZE 10.26 10.26
Franklin Nazareno [ECUADOR] ECU 10.22 10.22
ÃÂ￾ngel David Rodríguez [SPAIN] ESP 10.14 10.14
Martial Mbandjock [FRANCE] FRA 10.06 10.06
Ronald Pognon [FRANCE] FRA 10.13 9.99
Jack Howard [MICRONESIA] FSM 10.86
Wilfried Bingangoye [GABON] GAB 10.48
Suwaibou Sanneh [THE GAMBIA] GAM 10.62 10.53
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey [GREAT BRITAIN & N.I.] GBR 10.18 10.18
Tyrone Edgar [GREAT BRITAIN & N.I.] GBR 10.06 10.06
Craig Pickering [GREAT BRITAIN & N.I.] GBR 10.19 10.14
Simeon Williamson [GREAT BRITAIN & N.I.] GBR 10.03 10.03
Holder da Silva [GUINEA-BISSAU] GBS 10.67
Reginaldo Micha Ndong [EQUATORIAL GUINEA] GEQ 10.96
Tobias Unger [GERMANY] GER 10.17 10.16
Aziz Zakari [GHANA] GHA 10.23 9.99
Chun Ho Lai [HONG KONG, CHINA] HKG 10.38 10.38
Rolando Palacios [HONDURAS] HON 10.22 10.22
Suryo Agung Wibowo [INDONESIA] INA 10.40 10.25
Fabio Cerutti [ITALY] ITA 10.13 10.13
Simone Collio [ITALY] ITA 10.28 10.14
Marvin Anderson [JAMAICA] JAM 10.11 10.11
Usain Bolt [JAMAICA] JAM 9.72 9.72
Michael Frater [JAMAICA] JAM 10.00 10.00
Asafa Powell [JAMAICA] JAM 9.82 9.74
Dwight Thomas [JAMAICA] JAM 10.20 10.00
Nobuharu Asahara [JAPAN] JPN 10.17 10.02
Naoki Tsukahara [JAPAN] JPN 10.71 10.15
Rabangaki Nawai [KIRIBATI Rep of] KIR 11.81
Yahya Hassan I. Habeeb [SAUDI ARABIA] KSA 10.76 10.28
Souksavanh Tonsacktheva [LAOS] LAO 11.26
Ali Shareef [MALDIVES] MDV 11.18
Sébastien Gattuso [MONACO] MON 10.55 10.55
Roman Cress [MARSHALL ISLANDS] MSH 10.39
Adetoyi Durotoye [NIGERIA] NGR 10.14 10.14
Uchenna Emedolu [NIGERIA] NGR 10.21 9.97
Olusoji A. Fasuba [NIGERIA] NGR 10.10 9.85
Obinna Metu [NIGERIA] NGR 10.16 10.16
Jaysuma Saidy Ndure [NORWAY] NOR 10.01 10.01
Jesse Tamangrow [Rep of PALAU - Pacific] PLW
Dariusz Kuc [POLAND] POL 10.26 10.17
Francis Obikwelu [PORTUGAL] POR 10.04 9.86
Samuel Francis [QATAR] QAT 10.03 9.99
Andrey Yepishin [RUSSIA] RUS 10.18 10.10
Danny D'Souza [SEYCHELLES] SEY 10.91 10.91
Calvin Kang Li Loong [SINGAPORE] SIN 10.53 10.53
Kim Collins [SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS] SKN 10.07 9.98
Solomon Bayoh [SIERRA LEONE] SLE 10.81
Matic Osovnikar [SLOVENIA] SLO 10.16 10.13
Francis Manioru [SOLOMON ISLANDS] SOL 11.05
Jurgen Themen [SURINAM] SUR 10.71 10.71
Aisea Tohi [TONGA] TGA 11.10
Darrel Brown [TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO] TRI 10.02 9.99
Marc Burns [TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO] TRI 9.97 9.96
Richard Thompson [TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO] TRI 9.93 9.93
Okilani Tinilau [TUVALU] TUV
Dmytro Hlushchenko [UKRAINE] UKR 10.28 10.25
Walter Dix [UNITED STATES] USA 9.96 9.93
Tyson Gay [UNITED STATES] USA 9.77 9.77
Travis Padgett [UNITED STATES] USA 9.89 9.89
Darvis Patton [UNITED STATES] USA 9.89 9.89
Moses Kamut [VANUATU] VAN 10.87 10.64
Jared Lewis [SAINT VINCENT] VIN 10.49. Notice the small countries that sending athletes that essentially are tourists who run 11 flat to a high 10.X. Yet countries like Australia won't send their 10.2X guys....

Edited by: white is right

 

[white lightning]

Pickering is in one of the toughest first heats tommorow with Asafa Powell, Kim Collins and a few others. You want to talk about intimidating right off the bat. I'm sure he will still do ok. He only has to finish in the top 4. He just needs to get out quickly. It's got to befrustratingfor some of these sprinters when they see guys like Powell, Bolt, and Gay shutting it down at 80 meters and still coasting to a sub 10. Gee, I've always wondered how they do that? Lol. Edited by: white lightning

 

[devans]

Pickering through to next round in third behind Powell and Collins with a time of 10.21. This time would have won most of the other heats. No one went under 10.1 and the fastest heat time was 10.13. Also through are Yepishin in 10.34, Osovnikar in 10.46! and an italian called Collio in 10.32. Cerutti was 5th in his heat in 10.49!

 

[albinosprint]

Pickering has got to PR in the post Olympic season this year to build some confidence. he has to walk away from this season on a high note to set up for next year. hopefully Great Britain will have some good stick work in the 4x1 and maybe grab a medal. does anyone know what meets he will be running after the Olympics?

 

[white lightning]

I just read a short interview from an english paper and Pickering admitted how depressed he is. Craig said that it's been the worst year ever. He blew out his hamstring twice, and then got a bad lane draw. He said he got screwed being in lane 9. I think he would have made the semis if he was in lanes 3,4,5 or 6. It is just almost impossible from the outside of the track. Anyone that knows sprinting, can verify that. I hope he can get a few races in before the year is over like albinosprint said above. If not, the season is almost a total wash. He went backwards from a 10.14 to his quickest time of 10.18 this year! Oh well, he is still the best euro sprinter over 100 meters on the planet and he will be back!

 

[GiovaniMarcon]

One possible bit of good news is that he will be in his mid-20s next Olympic year, which would put him right around his athletic prime for speed.

I would also like to congratulate Craig on his obvious "cleanliness" from drugs and other methods of duplicity -- something I'm not too eager to say about Bolt or Gay or a lot of other sprinters.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

I also noticed Pickering didn't seem to get off a great burst at the start in that race like he needed. If Pickering masters his start and all nations adopt an American Pilot type program to prevent cheating, I think Craig could make a 100 meter finals in 2012 running clean. That would be quite a feat to see, a white in the 100 meter finals on his home turf in London. Craig needs to keep his head up, he could become quite an elite sprinter and I still believe he will run more than one sub 10 in his career.

The black runners seem to have a more open stride and I am starting to think it has to do with longer femurs proportional to their height on average, which I read recently has been proven by studies. I don't think it has to do with fast twitch muscles or "magical hips". Usain Bolt just coasted to a 9.92 in that race. Criag had a bad lane as well as the worst quarter final, time wise to run in. Bolt's stride is so smooth and it looks more effortless and springy, where Craig and the other white sprinters seem to overpower with their shorter stride/ quads more.

I think there is a reason that whites own the squat records and are on average stronger and are often better overall athletes (decathlon), but blacks seem to stride more gracefully and are faster over 100, 200 meters and better in the long jump. I hope whites continue to be the best in the high jump, triple jump, 400 meter and other events. The talk that just because the elite blacks are a little faster over 100 meters, that they are the superior athletic race is ludacris. Criag will be back and in his career he will defy some stereo types just the way some of the black QBs or this new black swimmer have done for their race. This post is an ode to Craig and a wish of best luck to him to become the fastest white 100 meter man ever!

 

[white is right]

Pickering needs to have a perfect race. He either blasts out hard and fades or goes out too slow and closes. The reason why I have hope for him is that he closes strong, which has been a problem for virtually all white 100 guys since the black domination began around the Ben Johnson era.

 

[forty-four]

More bad news for Craig.

[url]http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/i-let- country-down-laments-pickering-905161.html [/url]

 

[white lightning]

Craig races in Reiti, Italy tommorow. It is live on the web for those who want to watch it. The link can be found at trackandfieldnews.com


It might be his last race of the year. At the most he might compete one more time in my opinion. I still hope he can get one really fast race to have something to build on for next year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. No predictions this time. I will just wait and see what happens.

 

[freedom1]

From the pic it looks like Craig is getting more muscular.

 

[white lightning]

Craig did pretty good today in Reiti. He ran a 10.15 in the first heat to finish 2nd to Asafa Powell. He then followed it up by sprinting to a 10.17 in the final. By far his best races of the year back to back. I think he was in 7th or so in the final but the times are more important than the positions in my opinion. Both races are already posted on youtube for those who are interested. Way to get back to form Craig. He may decide to run another race before this season is over. I know how bad he wants to break his p.b. of 10.14 from last year. He was so close.

 

[white lightning]

I just noticed that Pickering had the 2nd slowest reaction time in his heats race were he ran a 10.15! He could have already broke his p.b. if he wouldn't have fell asleep while the gun went off. However, what closing speed to run down almost the entire field. S. Williamson and M.Devonish of England looked horrible. Only Pickering and Harry AA. looked good. It's too bad for Craig that all of the attention will go to Harry however as they are calling him the next MLF at only 19 years of age. This kid is juiced to the gills. I have never seen a teenager so massive. It will catch up with him at some point. I'm not sure about Simeone but either way he has battled with weight issues.


This year has to be so frustrating for Craig but he has at least stayed close to last years form despite a few major injuries. If he had been healthy all year, we would have seen a much different sprinter. I hope he realizes that he is only 22 and he has a long career ahead of him. He looked good today!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

With a faster reaction time Craig probably could have ran in the low 10.0xs in that race. He never seems to put together both a fast start and a good close to the race. When he does this in the future, he will become the first white man to run a 9.9x. I agree WL, Craig has all the tools, he just has to put it all together and he better keep working on his starts!

 

[GiovaniMarcon]

I'm hoping for it of course, but do you think Craig running under 10.0 will open any floodgates for other white sprinters to dip under 10.0 seconds?

When Dieter Bauman (Germany) ran under 13 minutes for the 5k many seasons ago many thought it would lead to an influx of whites going under 13 minutes, but since then only Craig Mottram (Australia) and Bob Kennedy (USA) have done it, unless I'm missing somebody.

Is Craig just an ordinary man who happened to stumble upon a sport that many other whites could excel at, if only they took it up, or is he a freak of nature and one few other whites can hope to emulate?

And as far as the whites going under 13 minutes for the 5k, do you think whites are giving up on the distance running now?

I ran the 5k in college, but I was happy to run sub-14 haha.

 

[white lightning]

I belive that there are white guys from the US with even better genetics than Pickering. Craig is an amazing sprinter but compare the size of England to the population of the United States. If we would have more white girls and guys dreaming about becoming olympic sprinters, you would see some break through. In the UK they have a elite white female 100 meter sprinter(Laura Turner) and a white male(Craig Pickering). For a country that small, it shows that they do not stereotype nearly as bad. They have also had a history of great white sprinters from Allan Wells to Roger Black to Tim Benjamin to Martin Rooney to Craig Pickering and that is to only name a few. There are alot of good potential young up and coming sprinters from over there. Pickering will not be the only one. You can count on that. Can it ever happen in America? That is hard to say but the powers that be would rather not see it happen. It's similar to the whites playing running back in football. We are not supposed to play certain sports or positions.


Times are changing a little however. We need a few more Wariner types from the US to root for. That would open some kids eyes. It can happen. I guarantee there are so many world class athletes from this country. They just need to be steered in the right direction from a young age. Let's see what happens over the next decade or so. I'm always optomistic. You have to be or why bother watching.


One more thing. Pickering showed great form running 2 races in a short period of time. To run a 10.15 and then a 10.17 a few hours later shows promise. He is finally rounding into form although it is too late for this year. It is still a solid foundation to build on for next season. This kid can eventually go sub 9.95 in my honest opinion and maybe even get into the 9.8 range. Next year will be huge. If not for the injuries, we would have already seen him right around 10.00 flat. Craig will open some eyes worldwide next year. He is as competetive as they come and he expects nothing less than the best for himself. I'm still waiting to make a toast to the first to break the barrier and a 2nd toast to getting into that range consistantly while inspiring countless others. Sorry for the long post guys.

 

[white is right]

Hembrough could be the first world class White American sprint hurdler since Richmond Flowers. That could encourage other short sprinters to stick out track after high school. All it takes is one star and other kids that have the potential will feel they have a shot.

 

[white lightning]

I also have my eyes on Shane Crawford. I want to see how he progresses. Even thought Michael LeBlanc is from Canada like Jaycon, I hope he returns to full health because he is as close to Pickering as anyone right now. Jared Connaughton would be next and then probably Unger or Hession. Shane Crawford should be able to get into the 10.30 range this year if all goes right and he will only be a sophmore. He has plenty of time to start progessing towards the 10 second barrier. I think it's great that he and Hembrough are on the same team. I do see incredible potential in Joshua Hembrough as well.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Pickering has similar closing speed to Shirvo, but isn't a consistent starter. He "absolutely" has to perfect his start and get mentally tougher. With perfect conditions a +2.0 tailwind, one of his best ever starts, a strong field to push him and a middle lane Craig could challenge the non-black record set by Patrick Jefferson (half Aboriginal and half Irish).

He is going to have to stay healthy though while working with a Herculean type Russian style lifting program which is very tough to recover without roids to improve his closing speed. I don't see Craig ever dipping below 9.9, I don't think he is genetically talented enough and is past the age of dramatic improvement. I just hope to see multiple sub 10s one day and hopefully challenge Jefferson's 9.93 non-black record. A low 9.9 has a shot to be a bronze medal time in London. This years Silver time was 9.89 and Bronze was American Walter Dix with a 9.91.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

A 9.93 actually has an outside shot at Silver, if Gay and Asafa the choke artist don't run their best. Craig isn't touching a healthy Bolt if he runs a decent race, it just isn't happening. Bolt is significantly ahead of what any human has done and I hope if he is on roids he gets caught.

I never believed a sub 9.85 was possible without roids, but Bolt is such a freak, he might be able to even eclipse 9.8. The guy is an absolute freak which makes it so much more immoral if he is using steroids like I believe. A 9.69 while slowing up to pound your chest is unreal. He may have gone 9.55 if he powered through the finish. Bolt may be a once in a millennium type, he is that talented.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[white lightning]

First off it is Patrick Johnson that your talking about from Australia. He is half aboriginee and half white. Craig has a shot at his record in the next 4 years in my opinion if he just stays on course with his training while avoiding the nagging injuries that his so many sprinters.


Bolt is a talent but he is with out a doubt on peds. I don't care if they never catch him. There are certain guys that I can just look at and I know. Two americans that I know were on it were Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene. I have seen enough steroid use from friends and professional athletes. It is just so obvious what to look for. Bolt and Powell are both enjoying their time and I don't blame them. They may get away with it as many other sprinters worldwide have for years. Hell even Lance Armstrong of the US is a cheat. Any rational person can see that. It still is incredible to win 7 tour de france titles just like it's incredible what Bolt is doing. Even with the peds, the performances leave most in awe. I just hate the fact that guys that are clean like Kim Collins do it naturally and will rarely win medals because of it. The same could be said for Pickering.


I think you guys are too hard on him however. He has not gotten slower and regressed despite injuries. Like I said in a previous post, he would have easily went in the 10.00 - 10.10 range already if he was healthy all year. That is a given. Belive it or not. He will break through if he keeps his head right. He needs to not let the media or fans get to him. Just run his race and the times will come. Craig Pickering has amazing talent with alot of upside. You haven't seen nothing yet. I guarantee it!

 

[mastermulti]

Is Craig just an ordinary man who happened to stumble upon a sport that
many other whites could excel at, if only they took it up, or is he a freak
of nature and one few other whites can hope to emulate?

GiovaniMarcon

I saw a recent interview with Craig and various of his African competitors.
Craig made a very interesting comment.... "I was under the expectation
that when you go into a race you try to win it: that's what I was told when
I was a kid".
The top black runners ALWAYS regard "the big Mazungo" as a threat since
( to quote Bekele) he has a "lion's heart" as compared to the "heart of a
chicken" most white long distance runners have.

You can search "craig mottram" on you-tube to see these comments and
many of his races

 

[white lightning]

This is a short article about how Craigs funding has been cut in half. Luckily for Craig, he has the support of his family which will allow him to keep sprinting. What a complete lack of respect however on the part of the UK. He is one of their brightest sprinting prospects for 2012 and this is the respect he gets. I hope he can stay healthy and have a big season to shut up the critics. Here's the link.


http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/Pickering-is-upbe at-despite-funding.4922230.jpEdited by: white lightning