Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
2004 Olympic 200 metres champion, American Shawn Crawford at Papine High yesterday. - PHOTO BY ANTHONY FOSTER
THE WORLD 200 metres record of 19.32 seconds has been in existence for almost a decade and the mark has proven a distant dream for contemporary 200m runners.
American Shawn Crawford, however, thinks surpassing the mark is humanly possible.
"It's always a part of my target," said Crawford, the 2004 Olympic 200m champion. "I don't think it's going to be difficult (to break) ... Everybody saw him clock the 19.32, so that lets me know that it is humanly possible.
"Right now I am not in 19.32 condition, but one day I will be ... I am working on getting there, I think it should be in another one or two seasons," he predicts.
On August 1, 1996, American Michael Johnson ran 19.32 seconds and, according to the statistics, he did 10 seconds for the first 100m.
In that race, he defeated Frank Fredericks of Namibia, who was a distant back-in-a lifetime best 19.68 seconds and Trinidadian Ato Boldon third in 19.80.
Since then, only Johnson (19.71 in 2000), Boldon (19.77) and Crawford (19.78), who aims at the magical mark, have gone under 19.80.
CONFIDENCE
"I don't think that there is anything on this planet that somebody else can do, and I can't do. I think it's very possible," Crawford told The Gleaner on his visit to Papine High School yesterday.
However, Crawford, who has four sub-20 seconds clockings, hinted that getting to the mark is not going to be easy.
"You can't just get up one day and expect to break the world record ... it takes work, you got to go out, you got to have world records practice, go out there commit yourself every day, practise, commit yourself on and off the track," Crawford, the eighth-fastest man over the 200m distance said.
Johnson's mark is not the only one on Crawford's mind. He also has his sights on Asafa Powell's 9.77.
Asked if he is also targeting the 100m record, Crawford quickly replied: "Yes, you got to target the records. If you are not shooting to be the best in your field, why are you in it?"
Crawford, who has a personal best of 9.88, also believes Gatlin can lower it by two hundredths of a second.
"I think he (Gatlin) can go 9.75," but added, "My speed is undetermined, I can't put a time on my speed."
EXCITED TO COMPETE
Crawford considers himself to be more of a 100m sprinter.
"I intend to use this year as a stepping stone ... I intend to run some personal best times this year, they may not be world records times, but they are going to chip away at world record times, and eventually I will get there."
Crawford missed last year's World Championships with an injury, but said: "I wasn't really disappointed that I couldn't compete last year. I'm more excited that I am able to compete in better health this year."
