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Nicolas Macrozonaris is in rare company after completing a sprint double
Cleve Dheensaw
Times Colonist Monday, July 21, 2003 A star is born on a Victoria track. And born to run. Nicolas Macrozonaris assured himself of becoming one of Canada's most watched athletes heading into the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics year by becoming the first sprinter since Ben Johnson in 1987 to record the men's 100- and 200-metre golden double at the Canadian track and field championships. Macrozonaris turned the trick by winning the 200 metres Sunday at Centennial Stadium in 20.85 seconds ahead of silver- and bronze medallists Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont. (20.97) and Ray Ardill of Victoria (20.98), who run for Washington State and Boise State, respectively, on U.S. NCAA athletic scholarships. Macrozonaris is the sixth to do it after Johnson in 1987, before his spectacular fall at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics; Desai Williams in 1983; Johnson's disgraced-coach-to-be Charlie Francis in 1970 and 1971; Olympic medallist Harry Jerome in 1960; and Percy Williams in 1928 at Hamilton before spectacularly repeating the national double gold performance on the world stage at the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics. "It's a huge deal . . . this is amazing . . . I didn't think I had it in me," said Macrozonaris, 22, who has run only a handful of 200-metre races in his career. The weekend double wasn't significant for the 200 -- which Macrozonaris doesn't plan to contest at the 2003 world championships at the Stade de France in Paris next month or Athens Olympics next year -- but in proving he has the stamina to go through four sapping rounds over two days in the 100 metres at both Paris and Athens. The Canadian championships only have two rounds of the 100 metres over one day -- which Macrozonaris won Saturday in a world-class 10.13 -- so he entered the 200 Sunday to build his capacity for the greater number of rounds he will face in the 100 metres at the worlds and Olympics. And build it he did. "I needed to get in four rounds of sprinting over two days and I did it," said Macrozonaris. With style. Macrozonaris' star turn over the weekend at Centennial Stadium, combined with his startling 100-metre victory in 10.03 seconds in May over world record holder Tim Montgomery of the U.S., gives Laval, Que., two of the most hyped Canadian pre-Athens athletes. Macrozonaris' good friend and fellow Laval resident Alexandre Despatie won the 10-metre diving title over the weekend at the world aquatics championships in Barcelona. "I can run sub-10 seconds in Paris," predicted Macrozonaris. "If I can run 10.03 in May and 10.13 here in Victoria at the nationals, the 9.9s will eventually come." With Macrozonaris, Henry, and 2003 NCAA silver medallist and 2002 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Pierre Browne of Toronto (10.16 for second-place Saturday behind Macrozonaris in the national 100 metres), there are hopes for revived Team Canada glory in the 4x100 at Paris and Athens. But Macrozonaris begged off the 4x100 training exhibition that took place at Centennial Stadium Sunday, after the official events ended, and under the watchful eyes of national team relay coach and 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold medallist 4x100 Team Canada sprinter Glenroy Gilbert. "Man, a high school guy could run faster than me right now," said Macrozonaris, after his 200-metre victory. "My legs are burning and I'm drained. But don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to practise the relay before Paris -- I'll have blisters on my hands from the sticks." Gilbert said "these guys can do it" and that the men's 4x100 team gives Canada its third legitimate medal threat at the world championships, along with world No. 4 800-metre runner Diane Cummins of Victoria and world No. 3 high jumper Mark Boswell of Brampton, Ont. Meanwhile, Gary Reed of Victoria PacificSport showed his sudden international emergence this year in the men's 800 metres is no fluke by winning his first national title in 1:48.19 Sunday. It appears the flame has officially been passed from former four-time national champion, Pan-Am Games medallist and 2000 Sydney Olympian Zach Whitmarsh of Victoria, who was fourth in 1:50.08. "Coming to Victoria was a smart move for me," said Kamloops native Reed "I have no complaints. It's been great. Kamloops has only limited opportunities for training and Victoria offers so much more." Certainly enough to propel Reed into the Stade de France and the world championships next month. "I've been a lot hungrier this year . . . moving to Victoria was about getting serious about my running and making it my lifestyle. It's paying off," said Reed. "But next year here in Victoria is the big one (the trials for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics will also be held at Centennial Stadium)." Once the trials results are analyzed from Centennial Stadium, an approximately 28-member Team Canada for the 2003 world championships Aug. 23-31 in Paris will be announced on Aug. 11. The 22-member national side to the 2003 Pan American Games Aug. 1-17 in the Dominican Republic will be named on Tuesday.Several of Canada's top-line track and field stars -- including Macrozonaris, Cummins and Boswell who have little to gain with the limited exposure a Pan Am Games medal would bring them -- will bypass the Pan Ams to focus fully on the world championships. |
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| Sprint double for Macrozonaris |
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Canadian 100-metre champion surprisingly wins 200 metres to join rather select company
Dan Barnes
The Edmonton Journal Monday, July 21, 2003 VICTORIA - Nicolas Macrozonaris joined an all-star lineup on Sunday when he completed the very rare sprint double at the Canadian Track and Field Championships. The 22-year-old speedster from Laval, Que., became just the sixth Canadian male in the last 75 years to win both the 100 metres and 200 metres at a national championship. He blew out of the blocks on the Centennial Stadium track and hung on through the final few strides to edge a strong field in the 200 metres, finishing with a personal best time of 20.85 seconds. Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont. was a breath behind at 20.97 seconds, followed by Ray Ardill of Victoria in 20.98 seconds. For Macrozonaris, this rather unexpected win came a day after he reclaimed his title as Canada's fastest man in the 100 metres, with his second-fastest time ever, 10.13 seconds. His personal best is 10.03, set at altitude in Mexico City in May. "It means a lot to me. It's a huge deal," said Macrozonaris, who rarely trains for the 200 metres. "This is amazing. I probably did eight 200 metres in my life and coming in here, what else could you ask for? You're Canadian champion on the (100) and the (200). "I did that for myself, I did that for my coaches, I did that to get more experience, I did that for the fans." And in so doing, he became the first Canadian man since disgraced Ben Johnson in 1987 to claim both titles. Desai Williams in 1983, Johnson's former coach Charlie Francis in both 1970 and 1971, Harry Jerome in 1960 and Percy Williams in 1928 were the only other male sprinters to win both. Erica Witter of Hamilton did the sprint double here on Saturday and Sunday, but it's a far more common happening on the women's side as Philomena Mensah of Surrey, B.C., did the double in both 1998 and 1999. Macrozonaris believes that his results here tell him he can run a sub 10-second time in Paris at the world championships next month. "It's going to come. It's going to pop out eventually." He will not, however, be running the 200 metres in Paris. His time here was fine, but it's not world-class. In other events Sunday: Toronto's Tina McDonald won the women's discus with a throw of 50.06 metres; Toronto's John Zubyck took the men's pole vault at 5.00 metres; Althea Williams defended her Canadian title in the women's triple jump at 13.38 metres; Wanita May of St. Catherines, Ont., won the women's high jump at 1.85 metres; Carmen Douma-Hussar of Wayne, Ont., won the women's 1,500 metres in 4:12:20; Victoria's Gary Reed ran 1:48:19 to win gold in the men's 800 metres; and Adam Kunkel of Paisley, Ont., claimed the men's 400-metre hurdles in 50.15 seconds.And here's how some Edmonton athletes fared on Sunday: Tim Berrett beat just five other competitors to win the 20-kilometre racewalk in 1:29:58:00; Tawa Babatunde won the women's 400-metre hurdles in 57.56 seconds; Jaime Johnson finished third in the men's pole vault, clearing 4.75 metres, while Mike Archambault was seventh at 4.40 metres; Kristin Hagel was sixth in women's triple jump at 11.71 metres while Erin McLean was 10th at 10.63 metres; Elaine Hua was eighth in the 200 metres in 24.95 seconds; and Megan Metcalfe was fifth in the 1,500 metres at 4:19:54 while Chantell Widney was 12th at 4:37:22. |
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| Sprinters have makings of promising relay team |
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Macrozonaris thinks Canada can medal at Worlds
Dan Barnes
The Edmonton Journal Sunday, July 20, 2003 VICTORIA - Nicolas Macrozonaris might be getting just a little ahead of himself by joking that Victoria ought to rename its stadium in his honour. "Hey, I'm serious. Talk to the mayor, man." On Saturday, the amusing 22-year-old from Laval was also just a little ahead of Toronto's Pierre Browne, .03 seconds to be exact, to win the most prestigious event at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in what is still known as Centennial Stadium. Three years ago it was the scene of his coming out party when he ran 10.19 seconds in a semifinal at the national championships and qualified for the Sydney Olympics. On Saturday, propelled along by a light and legal tailwind, Macrozonaris won his second straight Canadian title in the 100 metres in a respectable 10.13 seconds. In third place was Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont. The three medal winners will definitely be part of a promising 4x100-metre relay team at the world championships in Paris. How promising will depend on them and their ability to come together as a team in the next month, despite conflicting schedules. "If they get on the track practising enough, they'll be on the podium," declared Glenroy Gilbert, sprint and relay coach for Athletics Canada. "You've got two guys right at 10 flat and we have people around them who can get them on the podium. It's a very real possibility." Gilbert was a member of Canada's Olympic gold medal team when it featured Donovan Bailey and Bruny Surin. If people doubt his medal declaration now, he doesn't care. "People in 1996 didn't even think about us." Athletics Canada will add three sprinters to the medal trio from Saturday's race to fill the relay pool. Hurdler Charles Allen is a good possibility, as is Dave Tomlin. At the end of the championships today, certain members of the relay pool will practise on this track and on Tuesday the team might be reassembled again for an all-comers meet in Burnaby. Prior to the worlds, they will also go through a 10-day training camp. "All of us are looking forward to seeing how it turns out because we have a really good chance of medalling there," said Henry. "It's looking good right now. We've just got to get together and work on handoffs. "We've always been known for being up there in the sprints in Canada. We have a lot of talent coming out of college. Pierre and I are going to start training full time and Nick has been training full time for awhile. Once we get into a flow, there are going to be a lot of results like we saw from Donovan and Bruny." It's a sentiment shared by Browne. "We're running as good as anybody else in the world right now. At U.S. trials the other day, they ran 10.11, 10.16, which is what we're running right here. It looks good for Canada and when you come here, you know you've got somebody to race against. "You don't want to put up bad times on the board because other people from other countries are going to see that." |
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| Victoria spells victory to Macrozonaris camp |
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The hard work this spring and summer is paying off for Nicolas and coach Daniel St-Hilaire. Nicolas completed the double here today, blasting out of the blocks and holding his lead to the finish line to win the 200-metre final in a personal best time of 20.85 seconds. He ran four very strong races over the course of the two days here, signalling that he is making good progress in handling the physical strain that comes with running rounds at major competitions. Nicolas returns to Montreal on Monday, where preparations continue for the world championships later this summer. Full 200-metre results: 2003 Canadian Senior Track & Field Championships Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, July 20, 2003 200 metres results: Wind +1.6 m/s | | Finish | Athlete | Province | Semi’s | Final | | 1st | Nicolas Macrozonaris | Quebec | 20.96 | 20.85 | | 2nd | Anson Henry | Ontario | 21.40 | 20.97 | | 3rd | Ray Ardill | BC | 21.08 | 20.98 | | 4th | Jarek Kulezsa | Quebec | 21.11 | 21.08 | | 5th | Jermaine Joseph | Ontario | 21.17 | 21.15 | | 6th | Rhoan Sterling | Ontario | 21.39 | 21.35 | | 7th | Stephen Larsen | BC | 21.64 | 21.57 | | 8th | Luke MacInnis | Ontario | 21.85 | 21.85 |
chrisg@nicolasmacrozonaris.com |
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| Macrozonaris first man in 16 years to win 100, 200 metres at nationals |
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JIM MORRIS
Canadian Press Sunday, July 20, 2003
VICTORIA (CP) - Sprinter Nicolas Macrozonaris became the first man in 16 years to win both the 100 and 200 metres at the same Canadian track and field championships Sunday. Macrozonaris of Laval, Que., won the 200 metres in a personal best time of 20.85 seconds. He took Saturday's 100 metres in 10.13 seconds, his second best time at that distance. "It means a lot to me," said Macrozonaris, 22. "It's a huge deal. I've probably done only eight 200 metres in my life. Coming in here what else can you ask for." Only six Canadians have won both races at the national championships. Ben Johnson did in it 1987 and Desai Williams 1983. Charlie Francis, who later would become involved in the drug scandal that stripped Johnson of his Olympic medal, did it twice in 1970 and 1971. Harry Jerome won both races in 1960 and Percy Williams in 1928. Also on Sunday, Hamilton's Erica Witter won the women's 200 metres in a time of 23.34 seconds to go with her win Saturday in the 100 metres. Philomena Mensah of Surrey, B.C., won both races in 1998 and 1999. There were few surprise winners at this year's nationals. Established stars like Diane Cummins, ranked fourth in the world in the 800 metres, high jumper Mark Boswell, ranked third in the world, Macrozonaris, discus thrower Jason Tunks and 400-metre runner Shane Niemi all won their events. It begs the question of whether they won because they are that good, or because the talent pool behind them is so shallow there's no one to challenge them. "Do we have depth in every event? No, we don't," said Alex Gardiner, Athletic Canada's head coach and chief technical officer. "That's clear. There's some events where we have no depth at all. They are really in the development cycle." Gardiner will argue that in other events the field is brimming with potential. In the men's 100, Macrozonaris is being pushed by Toronto's Pierre Brown and Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont. In the women's 800 metres, Victoria's Heather Hennigar has beaten Cummins in the past. Vicky Lynch-Pounds of Leduc, Alta., placed a close second Saturday. Veteran 1,500-metre runner Graham Hood, who may have competed in his last Canadian championships, isn't so optimistic. "I don't know why, but in a lot of events there's not that second tier that used to be there," said Hood, who placed second to Kevin Sullivan in a close race. "Things definitely do need to be addressed in that regard." The weekend results also raises questions about the teams Canada will send to next month's world track championships in Paris and the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. Financial concerns have resulted in Athletic Canada setting very high - some athletes complain even unachievable - qualification standards for both events. The world team will consistent of around 28 athletes, with Cummins and Boswell Canada's best medal threats. Glenroy Gilbert, a former sprinter turned coach, said a medal is also possible in the men's 4x100-metre relay. The Pan American team, which will be officially announced Tuesday, will have 22 people. That's a huge reduction from the 60 that won 18 medals at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Macrozonaris, Cummins and Boswell all plan to skip the Pan Ams. Others like Tunks, Niemi and women's pole vaulter Stephanie McCann of Surrey, B.C. - who won her third straight Canadian title - will make the trip to the Dominican Republic. "I need the international competition," said Niemi, Canadian record holder in the 400 metres. "Right now I haven't had a lot of races. I need that exposure." Tunks of London, Ont, who won his ninth consecutive Canadian discus title, will use the Pan Ams as a tune up for the worlds. "Some guys need more time to rest and relax," he said. "I feel I need a little more competition to get ready for the worlds." Some of the athletes are heading to the Pan Ams in hopes in making the final qualification standards for the world championships. Also Sunday, Tim Barrett of Edmonton won the 20-kilometre race walk in one hour 29.58 seconds, while Toronto's Tina McDonald won the women's discuss with a throw of 50.06 metres. John Zubyck of Toronto, won the men's pole vault, clearing five metres, while Carmen Douma-Hussar of Wayne, Ont., won the women's 1,500 metres in 4:12.20. Gary Reed of Victoria won the 800 metres in 1:48.19. The men's 400-metre hurdle champion was Adam Kunkel of Paisley, Ont., in 50.15 while Tawa Babatunde of Edmonton took the women's 400 hurdles in 57.56. The men's long jump was won by Craig Cavanagh of Windsor, Ont., with a jump of 7.74 metres. Scott Russell, also of Windsor, won the javelin with a toss of 73.09 metres. |
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| Macrozonaris shows world-class speed |
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Wins 100-metre sprint in 10.13 seconds to secure berth in world championships
Canadian Press
Sunday, July 20, 2003 Nicolas Macrozonaris won the 100 metres in a world-class time of 10.13 seconds, Diane Cummins set a meet record in the 800 metres and discus thrower Jason Tunks became the first man to win nine Canadian titles at the Canadian Dry National Track and Field Championships yesterday. There was an upset in the women's 100 metres when Hamilton's Erica Witter won in a time of 11.44 seconds, while high jumper Mark Boswell clinched his fourth consecutive title, but failed in his attempt to break his own Canadian record. An ecstatic Macrozonaris said his time, run with a light breeze at his back, is proof he's beginning to show the consistency needed to be a threat on the international scene. "If you are able to run 10.13 consistently, believe it or not, you'll make the final at the Olympics," said the Laval native, who earlier this year won a race in Mexico City in a blistering 10.03 seconds. "I came here as the one to beat because of my great season so far, but I didn't take it easy. I knew there was tough competitors. I'm extremely happy." The win secured Macrozonaris a spot on the Canadian team heading to next month's world championships in Paris and came on the same Centennial Stadium track at the University of Victoria where he qualified for the Sydney Games in 2000. "You think there's a possibility the city of Victoria can change it to Macrozonaris?" he said, prompting laughs. "I'm serious. Talk to the mayor, man. Things are going good for me." Toronto's Pierre Browne was second in 10.16 seconds, followed by Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., in 10.27. Cummins of Victoria, ran second for most of the 800 behind Aimee Teteris of Toronto, before putting on a burst to win in two minutes, 1.01 seconds. Tunks, of London, Ont., had little trouble winning his ninth consecutive discus title. His winning toss of 62.70 metres was almost three metres further than second-place finisher Eric Forshaw of St. Joachim, Ont. Tunks will compete at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo before heading to the world championships. |
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| Final results 100-metre Canadian championships |
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Nicolas retained his Canadian title today in Victoria!! He continues to run consistently this summer, improving on his third place 10.15 clocking in Greece last month. A slight stumble early in the race today cost him, however Nicolas is very happy with the result in what is so far a very strong 2003 season. Full results: 2003 Canadian Senior Track & Field Championships Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, July 19, 2003 100 metres results: Wind +1.3 m/s | | Finish | Athlete | Province | Semi’s | Final | | 1st | Nicolas Macrozonaris | Quebec | 10.42 | 10.13 | | 2nd | Pierre Browne | Ontario | 10.42 | 10.16 | | 3rd | Anson Henry | Ontario | 10.38 | 10.27 | | 4th | Rhoan Sterling | Ontario | 10.52 | 10.46 | | 5th | Dave Tomlin | Ontario | 10.55 | 10.48 | | 6th | Jarek Kulezsa | Quebec | 10.57 | 10.53 | | 7th | Steven Wood | Ontario | 10.66 | 10.57 | | 8th | Martin Grenier | Quebec | 10.67 | 10.59 |
chrisg@nicolasmacrozonaris.com |
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Emerging international sprint star Nicolas Macrozonaris feels right at home on the Centennial Stadium track Cleve Dheensaw
Times Colonist Friday, July 18, 2003 Surprisingly slim and unassuming, Nicolas Macrozonaris has yet to acquire any of the cocky swagger so prevalent among the world's top 100-metre runners. The trendy wraparound sunglasses he sported Thursday at Victoria's Centennial Stadium were the only hint of anything even remotely resembling an attitude as he worked out alongside Canada's best runners, hurdlers, jumpers and throwers in preparation for the Canadian trials for the 2003 Paris world championships and Dominican Republic Pan Am Games beginning tonight at 6 p.m. CBC television will broadcast the trials live on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. But make no mistake Macrozonaris is the latest heir to a famously intriguing Canadian 100-metre tradition, peculiar for a country better known for ice and snow, that has arched from the brilliance of Percy Williams and Harry Jerome to Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey. Even the disasters, namely Ben Johnson, have been spectacularly world class. Macrozonaris' world first changed on this same Centennial Stadium track three years ago during the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics trials when his breakthrough time of 10.19 seconds propelled the then unknown 19-year-old from Laval, Que., into the Olympics. "It was in lane six," he said, motioning to the Centennial Stadium track. "And it was right here, right here on this very spot, that reporters rushed up to me right afterward and asked me if I knew what I had done . . . that I had qualified for the Olympics . . . and exactly who was I?" Macrozonaris' world was ratcheted up another notch in May when he beat world record holder Tim Montgomery of the U.S. with a personal best 10.03 during a Grand Prix meet in Mexico City. That was followed by a bronze medal in the IAAF Super Grand Prix in his father Spiros' homeland at Trikala, Greece, and bronze at another Grand Prix meet in the Netherlands. "Life changed (after beating Montgomery) because suddenly the world of track and field looked at me differently," said Macrozonaris, who is fluent in English, French and Greek. "All of a sudden, I'm getting invitations to all the big meets with all the big boys." And equally as suddenly, any financial worries Macrozonaris might have had disappeared as quickly as he disappears down a track. Sponsorships have come rolling in, including one from Reebok. "Tons of companies are interested in me now and you see my face everywhere in Quebec," said Macrozonaris, who threw out the first pitch of a recent Montreal Expos game. "Life has changed financially . . . I can now train properly, meaning full time, and I don't have to worry about the money." There's a passing-of-the-torch element to all this: Macrozonaris went outside on the night Bailey of Oakville, Ont., won individual gold with a world record in the 100 metres at the Atlanta Olympics, marked off 100 metres with chalk on the street in front of his house, and ran it pretending he was winning Olympic gold. Fellow Quebecer Surin, a member of Team Canada's 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold-medallist 4x100 team with Bailey and a world championships silver medallist, is Macrozonaris' manager. "Bruny knows the picture of world-class sprinting and is an awesome guy and a friend," said Macrozonaris. Yet Macrozonaris is only one of the stars on what may be an emerging Team Canada. Diane Cummins of Victoria in the 800 metres and Mark Boswell in the high jump are in the world top five. Kevin Sullivan in the 1,500 (but hobbled for these trials) and Jason Tunks in the discus were fifth and sixth, respectively, at the Sydney Olympics and Leah Pells fourth in the 1,500 at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. High-jumper Kwaku Boateng, who defected from the Ghana team at the 1994 Victoria Commonwealth Games, sprinter Pierre Browne and 400-metre runners Karlene Haughton and Shane Niemi all recorded breakthrough medals at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, while hurdler Perdita Felcien and high jumper Whitney Evans won NCAA crowns this spring. Victoria PacificSport 800-metre runners Gary Reed and Heather Hennigar have scored notable international results this spring and are also in the pack of emerging young talent. It is perhaps telling that it was Browne of Toronto who scored a Commonwealth Games medal last year in Manchester in the 100 metres, not Macrozonaris, who faded and didn't make the final. "Four races in two days burned me out at Manchester," admitted Macrozonaris, who has specifically worked on building the two-day stamina a sprinter needs to get through all the rounds of a major Games or the world championships. The goals are bluntly straightforward: The semifinals of the world championships next month at the Stade de France, the final of the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics in what should be an emotionally charged personal journey to his ancestral homeland and a medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. "Sure there's pressure (in trying to achieve those goals) but life would be boring without that kind of pressure," said Macrozonaris. "I like this pressure. It's excitement. If life isn't meant to be exciting, what is it meant to be?" |
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| Macrozonaris trying to seize moment |
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After getting 10.03 clocking at Mexico City, Laval sprinter faces bigger expectations Dan Barnes
CanWest News Service Friday, July 18, 2003 The career of Canada's fastest man can be viewed in two parts; before and after Mexico City. That's how definitive the finish line was for 100-metre man Nicolas Macrozonaris in May when he ran 10.03 at altitude to beat reigning world-record holder Tim Montgomery of the United States in a Grand Prix event that rocked the sprinting world. "Mexico was a huge thing. There were 55,000 people there. I don't know how my agent got me into that meet, but he did," Macrozonaris said. "You see the movie 8 Mile? You've only got one shot. I took it, man. I took it and put it in my pocket. After that, life has changed." Macrozonaris was a bit player on the international sprinting scene at the time, but suddenly feels like a wanted man. Reebok wanted him enough to sign the 22-year-old from Laval to a three-year endorsement contract. Athletics Canada wants and needs a fresh face to lead the sprint team through Olympics and World Championships for the next decade and Macrozonaris could be it. And everybody around him wants to see a legitimate sub-10-second performance that would signal his bona-fide entrance into the club of 100-metre men who can win gold at a world gathering. Daniel St-Hilaire, his new coach, said he thinks that will happen in the next 12 months. For now, the 10.03 has replaced the 10.19 that used to define Macrozonaris. It was his personal best, set three years ago here in Centennial Stadium, the site of the Canadian Championships this weekend. "This is where it all started for me three years ago," Macrozonaris said during a news conference yesterday. "I mean, literally, this place right here." One perfect race in Mexico City should not define anybody's career for long and everybody was watching to see how he followed it up in Europe. In seven races he ran between 10.15 and 10.34. Good. Not great. "He's got to take that grouping of 10.15s and 10.17s and bring it down to 10.10s," said national- team head coach Alex Gardiner. "Nick has huge natural talent but he's still maturing. He's not as strong as he's going to be. He's going to get more confident, too. He has time. This is a game best played by guys 27 to 32. He's got a few years to step up." |
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| Williams Holds His Rank in Paris 100 Meters |
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PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. champion Bernard Williams got the jump over Nigerian Deji Aliu and world champion Maurice Greene and never let up in winning the 100 meters at the Paris Golden League meeting Friday. Williams, who finished behind compatriots Greene and Tim Montgomery in the 2001 Edmonton world championships, clocked 10.05 seconds, equaling his personal best this year. Aliu was second in 10.07 and Greene third in 10.11. European champion and record holder Dwain Chambers of Britain finished a poor seventh in 10.45, well outside his season's personal best of 10.03. The race had been billed as a dress rehearsal of the sprinters' showdown expected to provide one of the highlights of the world championships on the same Stade de France track in August. Greene, who made a false start, said: "The false start held me back a little bit at the start. "I was really interested in getting away quick but I didn't think it was a false start although that was what the computer said. "I'm just taking it easy right now but I will be ready when the time comes." The Bahamas' Chandra Sturrup took the honors in the women's sprint, outpacing American Kelli White and French former European champion Christine Arron. Sturrup, the winner at the first Golden League meeting of the year in Oslo, clocked 11.01. White, who was the outstanding sprinter at the U.S. championships, had to content with second place in 11.09. Arron disappointed her home crowd with third place in 11.12. IAAF “Gaz de France” Golden League
Paris, France, July 4, 2003100 metres results: wind 0.0 m/s | | Finish | Athlete | Nat/Born | React | Results | | 1st | Bernard Williams | USA/78 | 0.130 | 10.05 | | 2nd | Deji Aliu | NGR/75 | 0.205 | 10.07 | | 3rd | Maurice Greene | USA/74 | 0.124 | 10.11 | | 4th | Mark Lewis-Francis | GBR/82 | 0.151 | 10.23 | | 5th | Patrick Johnson | AUS/72 | 0.102 | 10.23 | | 6th | Nicolas Macrozonaris | CAN/80 | 0.144 | 10.33 | | 7th | Dwain Chambers | GBR/78 | 0.149 | 10.45 | | 8th | Jon Drummond | USA/68 | | DNS |
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| "B" run in a "B" race today in Lausanne |
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A pedestrian time of 10.34 seconds in Lausanne today for Nicolas, finishing 4th in race "B". Nicolas arrived in Lausanne believing he could run two races, a preliminary heat and a potential advance to a final 100-metre race against the other top qualifiers. That was not to be, however, as meet organizers chose to hold separate races. Nicolas honoured his appearance commitment however disillusioned with the circumstances and given the wet weather conditions in Lausanne he did not have his "A" game today. Nicolas is scheduled to compete at the "Gaz de France" Golden League meet in Paris this Friday, July 4th. chrisg@nicolasmacrozonaris.com |
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