 |
| French triple jumper Teddy Tamgho is aiming for a gold medal at the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships to be help in Paris between 4-6 March. |
French triple jumper Teddy Tamgho had a 2010 to remember, winning a World Indoor Championships gold medal with a world indoor record of 17.90m and leaping 17.98m outdoors, the best mark in the world last year which saw him become the third best performer of all time.
The 21 year-old also won a bronze medal at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and his feats earned him the additional honour of being voted the European Athletics Rising Star of the Year.
In an interview with the French athletics federation web site www.athle.com, Tamgho talked in detail about how training is going with his new coach, Cuba’s former long jump world champion Ivan Pedroso, who he joined forces with at the end of the summer.
Q: You’ve been training in Alicante (Spain) with Ivan Pedroso for just over three months now. How is it going?
A: There are good things happening even though I cannot say that I am in great shape right now. I’m working very hard and I'm tired but there is progress both technically and physically. Anyway, I'm in no hurry. I’m preparing firstly for the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris (between 4-6 March) and then, in the longer term, Daegu (the 2011 World Championships) and the 2012 Olympics.
Q: Is your preparation this winter very different from what you've experienced before?
A: In terms of physical work, there is more quantity. I’m currently in a period of power development. I do a lot of exercises, a lot of high intensity jumping plyometrics, a lot of strength work and heavy weights. I was expecting more changes but Ivan Pedroso has only done about half the expected changes. He’s decided not to change everything at once. This year is a season of transition, next year we will progress to the next level.
Q: What is your relationship with Ivan Pedroso like? The language barrier was not too difficult to overcome?
A: I am much better in Spanish than I was before (jokes). In addition, we share the same interests. Ivan has a great experience, he was nine times a world champion, he won an Olympic title. We talk a lot during training, often I do not feel good during the training sessions, and he explains why, and tells me not to worry. It is a transfer of knowledge.
Q: What about everyday life there?
A: It's going pretty well. I am someone who adapts quickly to situations. In addition, I am not alone, I've been joined by Arnaud Mendy (a friend from Tamgho’s Dynamic Aulnay Club), and we work together. This is his first year as a serious triple jumper. He has great potential, wait until this summer. I see at least 16 metres for him.
Q: Did you use the holiday period to relax a little?
A: No, I did not slacken at all. I returned to France before Christmas but I trained as usual at the Insep (The French high performance centre). Ivan works by cycles and after three weeks of training, there is a week of relative rest. The intensity will start to decline this month and I'll be back in France on January 15.
Q: Have you got your competition schedule for this winter?
A: I plan to make my return to competition at the end of January in France, just to stretch my legs. I also want to do the meeting in Lievin (on February 8) but everything will depend on discussions between my agent and organizer.
Q: You also ran an indoor 200m in Eaubonne at the end of December, how did that feel?
A: I did not feel great but I was not going there for a time but more to stretch my legs. I ran 22.26 but those who were there saw that I could go under 21.80. I was alone after 40 metres; actually I hoped to find myself facing someone who would push me to 21.40. There was one young guy who is very strong in the both triple and 200m, Guy-Elphège Anouman (16 years-old who did 15.17m and 21.26 in 2010) who I thought was going to be there. If we had raced together there, my pride would have made sure, he would not have beaten me.