Usain Bolt’s Heir Found by Coach

October 14, 2024

Oct 14, 2024 | Edition #37

👋 Hey, Speedsters!

We wrapped up an eventful week on Saturday, particularly applauding Allyson Felix's bold leap into entrepreneurship! But Monday has started with an emotional tailspin. After a 28-year-old British athlete breathed his last recently, the track and field world composed messages to pay their final respects.

Also, a few unexpected sparks caught our eye. Tensions flared up as Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian got tangled in a heated exchange with an athlete who called him a 'culture vulture.' On another note, Usain Bolt's former coach, Glen Mills, once thought he found the G.O.A.T's kindred spirit, who exhibits identical traits. Keen to know who that was?

Let’s dive in!

📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.”

— Tom Fleming

In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover these top stories from Track & Field universe:

🫡 Brighton’s Tribute to Late Robbie Fitzgibbon

👀 Alexis Ohanian Breaks Silence Over Heated Claims

😲 Who is Britain's Next Usain Bolt?

🌟 Sister Tackles Chicago Marathon for a Cause

🫡 TRIBUTE TO

Coaches and Nation Unite in Mourning Athlete's Passing

This Friday, the Brighton Phoenix track club shared the heart-breaking news of Robbie Fitzgibbon's passing. At just 28, this dedicated middle-distance runner had been chasing his dreams since he was 12. By 18, he had already claimed the English Schools 1500m title, showing the world a glimpse of his remarkable talent. Over the years, Robbie reached impressive heights, including a fifth-place finish at the European Athletics U-20 Championships and invaluable experience in the Diamond League.

His coach, Joel Kidger, remembers him fondly: “He was gritty, determined, and usually got to where he wanted.” That determination carried him to the European Indoor Championships finals in 2019, a testament to his hard work. Robbie never shied away from a race—be it cross country, the South Downs Way Relay, or even a Christmas park run. He was all set to make his marathon debut in Berlin in 2025, running for the charity Mind. Now, his father will step in to run on his behalf, honoring Robbie's spirit as he faced the challenges of psychosis since 2022.

Brighton Club will continue remembering Fitzgibbon as the "epitome of a runner's runner" and someone who was "a friend, a teammate, and an irreplaceable part of our Phoenix family." His training partner, Charlie Grice, shared these words: "You were a true fighter who always gave your best. How else do you make it to a European final? Rest easy, mate. You'll never be forgotten." The Brighton and Hove Athletic Club echoed this, calling him a “great athlete and a lovely man.”

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📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Which Track and Field Event Has the Oldest Standing World Record, Set in 1983?

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Last Poll’s Result: In our last edition, we asked: Who Became the First Sprinter to Win Olympic Gold in the Men’s 100 Meters Three Times in a Row? A solid 64% of you got it right! 🥇 Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sensation, sprinted his way to Olympic gold in the 100 meters three times in a row, dominating the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics.

🗣️DEBATE OF THE DAY

Reddit Co-founder Responds to Athlete’s Controversial Remarks

Alexis Ohanian does not hold back from calling a spade a spade. Well, sometimes that can be a bane. Recently, after Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track came up with the rule stating that athletes need permission if they wish to compete in other meets, Ohanian did not think twice before pointing out how the ask was not athlete-friendly and detrimental to the growth of women athletes. But, NCAA athlete Erin Brown has now clapped back at the Athlos founder.

Posting on X, Erin Brown called Ohanian out for coming into athletics (a sport desperate for anything), leaching it off, and accrediting himself as a trailblazer. Brown outright blamed him for putting up an 'act' to care about the athletes and garnering attention in the name of 'saving track and field,' because he had been doing more interviews than the stars of the meet themselves. The Grand Canyon player also highlighted, neither are women athletes being underpaid, nor getting unequal treatment, which makes Ohanian's Athlos idea a 'bulls**t feminist movement.' Brown concluded that Ohanian’s critique of Johnson stemmed from jealousy, accusing him of pretending to support Black women while simultaneously attacking Black men online.

Did Ohanian respond? After Brown commented on his tweet about Athlos’ 3M global viewership, accusing him of using young women as tax write-offs for an unprofitable event, Ohanian lost his calm and shot back! Stating Brown and critics like him just add fuel to his fire, Ohanian threw in a sarcastic “thanks” and finished with, “We’ll keep building; you’ll keep hating.” Some feel Brown’s words were a bit too harsh, considering Johnson himself has athletes signed to restrictive 360 deals, while others believe he might have a point!

📽️ VIDEO VAULT

Usain Bolt’s Impossible 100m Record!

Phenoms have come and gone but, Usain Bolt’s 100m world record stands to date! Scientists speculate if it is physically possible? Will a combination of genetics and training work? And where do these current phenoms like Letsile Tebogo and Noah Lyles stand? Will they be able to shatter the time? Find out in the video below!

📈TRENDING NEWS

Usain Bolt's Former Coach Identifies Star Protégé

Last year, Zharnel Hughes achieved what no male British sprinter could in 3 decades! He shattered the 100m national record previously held by Linford Christie, clocking in at an impressive 9.83 seconds during the NYC Grand Prix. While this accomplishment is truly remarkable, Hughes' coach, Glen Mills, believes it brings him closer to Usain Bolt's legacy. Hughes revealed how Mills, "always compares the both of us at times." Well, Mills coached Bolt since 2004 and helped him to 2 Olympic golds in Beijing. And Hughes has been with him since he was 18. Thus, the coach has naturally spent enough time to observe unique characteristics of both athletes.

And those observations led Mills to claim," I see similar traits in you [Hughes] than what I see in Usain." Well, this isn't the first time such comparisons have been voiced. Due to their identical 6-foot-plus frames, the two are often compared. They might not be the fastest starters due to their heights, but once they get upright, nothing stops them from powering down the track—a striking similarity! Although Hughes feels he is a couple of inches shorter than Bolt, he possesses a quicker stride frequency and shares running attributes with Bolt, which likely prompted Mills' comparison.

Even statistics illustrate this point! In the 2023 World Athletics Championships 100m finals, Hughes bagged bronze with a reaction time of 0.105s. On another note, Bolt's Beijing Olympics reaction time was 0.165 and the 100m final from the London Olympics was 0.155 seconds. Thus, Zharnel's idea comes across in this aspect. While the two don't have the fastest reactions, Hughes is still quicker given his shorter height.

When it comes to their best performances, Hughes has recorded times of 19.73 seconds in the 200m and 9.83 seconds in the 100m, while Bolt's records stand at 19.19 seconds and 9.58 seconds. It's clear that their times are quite close, separated by mere hundredths of a second.

On top of that, Hughes had the amazing chance to train alongside Bolt when he was just starting out in his sprinting career. Even though they never really sat down for deep conversations, Hughes admits that he found Bolt's mindset incredibly inspiring. Just imagine sharing the track with a legend! Being coached by Mills and training with someone like Bolt has probably influenced Hughes' technique quite a bit, helping him adopt some of the same strategies that made Bolt a household name.

💫INSPIRING FEATS

Running for Healing: A Sister’s Mental Health Mission

Lauren Pendergrass aims to pull off a double whammy this Sunday! At the 46th Chicago Marathon, she will run with a twofold purpose—to honor her late brother Grant DeHoogh and be a force behind spreading awareness on mental health and anxiety among teenagers. Pendergrass lost her 26-year-old brother to dr*g overdose in 2021 and ever since, her life has had an irreplaceable void.

But, she's now teamed up with Erika's Lighthouse for the 26.2-mile run, which is a non-profit foundation that helps teenagers clutched with anxiety and depression. Selling orange color bracelets (DeHoogh's favorite), she raised $1,500 for the application and has committed herself to this run that is "really meaningful" to her. Via this, she hopes to motivate other people to reach out and ask for help when they need it, especially high school kids.

Grant was a high-functioning adult studying pharmacy who faced his struggles in silence during the isolation of the pandemic. His family only became aware of his challenges much later, which was just the first layer of the problem. The second layer was his reliance on online therapy, which proved to be less effective during such a critical time. Through her run, Pendergrass hopes to destigmatize conversations about mental health, an issue she feels passionately about and one that has helped her cope with her own grief.

And she won’t be alone in her mission! Many runners from various organizations, including Team CARA 'Go Run', the American Cancer Society, World Vision, and Mercy Home, will join her on the track. This year, around 16,000 participants are expected to run for social causes, aiming to raise a remarkable $30.4 million for various nonprofits. It’s set to be a powerful event, filled with purpose and determination!

📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!

  1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Revealed How Her Life Used to Be Distributed in 4 Areas - Full Story

  2. Julien Alfred Reflects on Shocking Moment at Paris Olympics Before Victory - Full Story

  3. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Quit Favorite Pastime After Absurd Incident During COVID Lockdown - Full Story

  4. Junelle Bromfield Finally Changes Jamaican’s Opinions After Noah Lyles Proposal - Full Story

  5. Unfortunate Injury At Chicago Marathon Lands T.J. Holmes In The Ambulance - Full Story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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