Gonzales coming home with mission accomplished

Jermaine Gonzales would have come into the 2009/2010 track season wanting to have a confidence-building run at getting to a place where he really belongs – among the best 400 metre runners in the world.
Now, after seven straight sub-45 clockings in the 400 metres – 44.79, 44.72, 44.63, 44.40 (new national record), 44.51, 44.80 and 44.90, Gonz, as he is called, should be going into next season feeling that a lot of the hard work is behind him but a lot is still ahead.
Gonzales’ season best 44.40 is currently the second fastest time run this season behind Jeremy Wariner’s 44.13s. Wariner’s time, though is where Gonzales will be looking if he is to challenge for the world title next year in Daegu, South Korea.
To get there he and his coaches – Bert Cameron and Glen Mills – will have a greater appreciation of what it will take to get there – speed.

To get to the rarified air of very low 44s and 43-highs, it will take a significant improvement in speed on the part of Gonzales. He already has the strength but he needs more. He has speed but he needs more. He also needs to work on his speed endurance as being able to maintain higher levels of speed over longer distances is going to be key, but most critical will be his overall speed.
If Gonzales is to have a shot at defeating Wariner and the Americans, he has to be able to get around the first two hundred metres with relative ease and not expend too much energy. This means he has to be able to run fast so that he is able to run faster than he can now without emptying the gas tank.
Gonz is already a strong finisher and with improved speed, he will be even better but he has to have more left in the tank when he gets to the top of the stretch.
That being said, after getting seven straight sub-45s, the foundation has clearly been laid and now its time to build on it.