Newsletter

José Luis González: «Katir runs as I like, hidden and appearing in the bell, looking for corpses»

José Luis González is agitated these days. Happy because there is talk of the 1,500 meters. Happy because there is talk of the World Athletics Championships. It has been 35 years since this unrepeatable athlete, a talent without limits of any kind, won the first World Cup medal in the 1,500 meters. The silver of Rome 87, ahead of Steve Cram. – How do you remember the silver of 1987? – With love, with joy, with responsibility. I prepared the World Championships in Navafría, sadly burned these days, in Boca del Asno and I went down to do the track in Segovia. I had had a great year, with many victories in Europe, but I was going with responsibility, because, due to my character, I knew that there were journalists waiting for me, who could crack me down. He was actually calm. – How was that competition? – The heats were in the morning, at ten, but I woke up at 5:30 and did the first warm-up, to activate myself, gently, at five minutes per kilometer. Then he did another warm-up in the stadium. All of this is fundamental, it is what I call the ninth street, what is not seen. I was already 29 years old, experienced, and most importantly: automated in competition. – Did anything change that year? – Yes. The food. I incorporated the pasta and white rice, which I did not like. They don’t taste like anything to me, but I was taking carbohydrates for the next day. I only weighed 61 kilos for my 1.80. In Rome it was hard for me to sleep, I always missed the bed in the competitions and sometimes I took my pillow with me. «With the money my cache skyrocketed; I started earning 9,000 euros per race» – What was your feeling when you crossed the finish line second? – It was a great disappointment to get silver. I came out in that final to be world champion. Then I started to appreciate it. And my cache shot up. I started earning 9,000 euros per race. Abascal and I paved the way for professional athletics in Spain. – They were other tactics, unpredictable. – That was prettier, not like now. You didn’t know what the race was going to be like. Now the ones from Kenya and the Norwegian come out and there is no strategy that is worth it. My tactic was to stand still, hush one and spend as little as possible until the bell. I knew that in the last 100 I could beat anyone. you may also be interested in standard No football A Kuwaiti sheikh, a Ukrainian referee and a mysterious briefcase: worldwide mess in Spain 82 ÁNGEL LUIS MENÉNDEZ standard Yes The story Juanma Rodríguez – Let’s go to Oregon. Tell me about the 1,500 final. – Well, I’ll tell you that Ingebrigtsen is an excellent athlete. But he is very bad at strategy. He should not have let the Kenyans take the lead. He must have done it, long before the 700 and with an even harder pace, because if not, they’ll put up with everything and precisely he doesn’t have the top speed to destroy at the end. The money is not worth it to him. This year is not in a state of grace and we must not forget that the British are educated to win. That’s why he was defeated. – Katir has won the bronze. What do you think of him? – Run the way I like. Hiding and appearing in the bell. He came hungry because he failed in Tokyo. He is one of those who go out in the back, looking for corpses. With him and with García Romo we have a great future. «Romo is very good, he would put him together with Cacho and me; he has driven me crazy »-García Romo was fourth. How did he see it? -He ran great. He is very good, he would put him together with Cacho and me. He moves well in the race and that’s important. I used to tell Abascal that when Ovett knocked him to the ground it was his fault, not Ovett’s. Mario has been hardened in the United States, in the mile, in hardness, in the four-lap lineup. He knows how to pick up cruising speed and not be interrupted. I used to tell Higuero not to change his rhythm so much, that it wore him out. Romo does that perfectly. On Calle One, near the line on Calle Two, he knows a lot. I did not know him, but he is very good, he dominates tactics. He has career intelligence. He knew that he had won the Nacional, but I don’t see the Spanish championships. I see bigger things. The reality is that Mario has driven me crazy. I think he should go to win the European. He has already done 3:30. But of course, what now? What progression awaits him? 3:28? – Nacho Fontes was eleventh. – I saw it right. A remarkable high. He works well in the race. – Adel Mechaal finally resigned from 1,500 due to COVID… – They selected him correctly. A fifth in the Olympic Games must always be selected. He is a 3,000 meter athlete, but he will have to go up to 5,000. He should do it before Katir because he has less top speed. Anyway this year it seems that Mechaal is not so good. -How do you see Spanish athletics? – Well, we have two medals but the truth is that we lack density. In more than half of the tests we do not appear. You hardly see us at the World Cup. – There are very good times in the 1,500 meters this year. – I think that with today’s ‘sneakers’, as the Catalans say, you have to add 2.5 seconds to all brands. That’s why he gets off 3:30 so easily. MORE INFORMATION news No fateful day; Mechaal and the duo of the 800, out of the finals news Si Mo Katir’s great yearning news No Katir, bronze in the 1,500; second medal for Spain – You were on the edge of controversy for nothing. Those statements about Nadal and his habit of talking about his injuries…-It is that we are in a very chauvinistic field. My flag is talent, not the country where I live. When you go to a competition you shouldn’t say anything anymore. Lesions are hidden and are not counted.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending