Kolkata, December 16, 2017: Look up into the horizon. Tread lightly. Look up before you take off. Don’t give a damn about foul jumps, take your leap of faith. The words remained hung in the air long after Mike Powell, the man who went the farthest left the Sports Authority of India today morning.
This was part of the three day visit of Mike Powell to the city as part of TSK 25K on December 17 to promote the culture of running and fitness.
8.95 mts. Its not a great distance to travel. But true blue athletes all over the world have not been able to repeat the feat in the last 26 years. That is the enigma of Mike Powell’s achievement. So when he decides to spend a morning giving tips to aspiring long jumpers it is a treat to watch and a once in a lifetime opportunity for the wards.
Powell spent almost sixty minutes with 25 odd aspiring long jumpers giving them tips after their jumps. Sometimes he went up to the take-off board and showed the position in which the upperbody and knee should be while taking off, sometimes he showed how to run in the lead up to the jump and sometimes he showed how to spread the body to create the perfect aerodynamics to remain in air longer.
Bhairavi Das and Ramdev Tigga were praised by the legend for their fluid movements and take offs, but they were given tips to further hone their skills.
“Have you ever seen an aeroplane with its nos dipping. Be an aeroplane. Run as fast as you can and then take of lightly like a plane does, with the eye on the horizon. Never look down. Look up and beyond the horizon. This is the best way to jump,” said Mike Powell to the aspirants.
Bhairavi das later said: “It was a great moment to be coached by Powell. He is our idol. He taught us simple things. Things we tend to ignore and that is great. I wish I had a coach like him.”
“I am truly mesmerized. He is such a great man with so much knowledge. He has changed the way I used to think about the jump,” said Ramdev Tigga.
