Brendan Cole - Post Olympic Qualifying 4x400m Relay

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Category: Brendan Cole

Matt: First off congrats on the great run?

Brendan: Thanks Matt. It was a great run by all the boys! I can’t tell you how much fun running in a successful relay is. The team focus is such a welcome change from the intensity of an individual event.

Matt: How was the mood of the team leading into the event, were you boys confident of running fast enough to qualify for the Olympics and break into the top 10 fastest countries?

Brendan: It was an interesting dynamic going into Korea. I think all of us were pretty excited to just be around nine of the ten best 400m runners in Australia - we all get along well and are great mates. So at first it was a bit of a laugh and good times. But as we got closer to race day the magnitude of what was in front of us certainly started to make itself known. We knew that we could run the time we needed to, but we hadn’t even gone close this year, so yeah, nerves were high! On paper we had the guys to get the job done but unfortunately in relays you ALL have to step up, your weakest link brings the whole team down.

Matt: Now you are a 400m runner but you specialise in hurdles, is it hard for you to adjust to just sprinting flat out round a track without having to worry about jumping?

Brendan: I think being a 400 hurdler actually works in our favour when it comes to relays. In a hurdle race, we are adjusting the whole time to winds, hurdles that don’t go very well, etc. and so our ability to change pace and adjust our stride is excellent. Often these skills are required in a relay race as you are all running in lane 1. I wouldn’t say it’s a downgrade to go from hurdles to flat 400s, but to me its a much simpler race where I can just enjoy running and the element of competition more.

Matt: Did you do any specific training for the 400m leading into the event, or have you been solely focusing on hurdles?

Brendan: This year has always been about the hurdles for me, so that has been my focus. I have been told that I probably won’t be named in the first four for the relay anyway, so there is not really any point in me trying to run a fast flat 400 to make the team. I will be in London anyway, so they will use me if they need me! I usually do one session before a relay where we split up the race into 3 repetitions off short rest so I can practice the pace I want to run at in the different parts of the race. Other than that, it’s business as usual!!

Matt: You have already qualified for the Olympics, did this result in you not feeling as much pressure for the race?

Brendan: Yes and no. Obviously it wasn’t going to make my place in the team any more certain than it already is, but I felt like it was the most pressure I have had on me in a relay before! The fact is that I was put in the ‘A’ team ahead of some guys that have run about 2 seconds faster than me for a flat 400, so I was a little nervous about performing from that point of view. But more than anything, the team’s position in the Olympic Games was at stake. So yes, I was feeling the pressure, but I know I am in great shape and with a team like the one we did, I knew the overall performance would be successful!

Matt: How much practise is put into the relays before you race?

Brendan: Not that much to be honest. Well, not nearly as much as the sprint relays. We did about two changes per combination the day before we went out there, but that was it. With everyone in the same lane, other than the first change, I think the changes in the 4x400 are more instinctive and intuitive than anything. I guess that’s why they went for the most experienced team last week.

Matt: You are in the unique situation of being able to compare being an individual athlete and a team athlete in regards to running the 400m hurdles on your own to racing the 4x400m with 3 other guys, take us through what it means to you to race in each?

Brendan: With all your efforts going into your individual event, I don’t want to say that the 4x400 is a ‘bonus’, but with a flat PB of 47.4, I can never think that I am going to be a first preference on the day. This means that any run I have with the other boys is just such a special treat to me and such an honour to pass batons with one of the most successful 4x400 relays nations in the world. Australia has a great history in the 1600m relay, and has often surprised critics (ie. last week), and I think that is the nature of the Australian athlete to step up when it counts and to rise as a team to any occasion. It all sounds like a bit of a footy club chant, but the feeling you get when you walk onto a track with 3 other Aussies is like nothing in an individual event.

Matt: Being a Coffee Connoisseur how does it compare in Korea?

Brendan: We found one coffee shop that the boys who went to world champs last year found and loved. It was a quirky little place with an amazing menu of drinks to choose from, and the care that went into each drink was outstanding. The coffee itself was ok, but not great. Let’s just say it was nice to come back to Melbourne afterwards to drink some really good beans.

Matt: Where to from here for you?

Brendan: One more month up in Canberra preparing for the European onslaught, whilst bearing with the winter cold! I think I will do one more comp in Australia before heading overseas. My first hurdles will be in Belgium on the 23rd of June, and then I will have about another 3-4 comps before heading into the Village. Very exciting times ahead... 67 days I believe!!

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