Felix Sanchez (DOM) wins the 400m Hurdles at the Bergen Bislett Games (© Getty Images)
Twotime World champion and Olympic gold medallist Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic is intending to run not just his specialist 400m Hurdles event at next month’s 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Helsinki, Finland (6 – 14 August) but also the 4x400m relay for his country.
Yesterday, his manager Tony Campbell in an exclusive interview for the IAAF website confirmed that the 27-year-old who has only raced over the Hurdles twice since his injury at the Brussels TDK Golden League meeting last September is battling heavy and persistent injury problems but is “determined” to race in Helsinki in his desire to become the first ever three-time World champion for the 400m Hurdles.
Outlining the status of Sanchez’s fitness since last summer Campbell stated –
“Felix was carrying the injury through the Olympic rounds and was lucky to survive and win gold. The problem was in the hamstring and also in the calf.”
“After his leg broke down in Brussels, he never went to a doctor but instead just rested his body totally for two months thinking that the problems would disappear.”
“The injury did seem to have healed and everything was going well for the next few months and he generally wintered well. This was seen when he ran in Santo Domingo on 14 May where he clocked 48 seconds.”
“However, shortly after that race Felix travelled to New York, USA, to see his friend and fellow national hero of the Dominican Republic, Pedro Martinez, the baseball star, and that’s when things started to go wrong again.”
“Quite simply, he travelled from the 90 degree heat of Santo Domingo to the 50 degree temperature of New York, and in that sudden change of training environment his body was pushed to its limits and the calf injury reappeared but much worse this time.”
“Basically, the injury has meant that he could not do any speed work because it has stopped him running on his toes.”
“Despite, these difficulties rather than resting he decided to compete in Madrid (IAAF Super Grand Prix) on 16 July. There he was running with his body out of balance because the injury was causing him to over compensate for the injury. He was fine through the sixth hurdle but after that he started to stutter and by the eighth he was chopping.” He finished in 49.48.
“His problem was then properly diagnosed, and it was found that he had a calcium deposit on his right foot, and that maybe he needs surgery to have it scraped off.”
“However, Felix is determined to run at the World Championships and become the first ever three-time winner of the 400m Hurdles.”
“He is having laser treatment every day, and the medical advice is that he should not run but he is a determined and very patriotic person and wants to compete even if he dies trying.”
“Felix is also a member of the national 4x400m relay team and he does not want to let his colleagues down.”
“But even though it has been suggested he just runs the relay, he is convinced he should go for the individual event first. Of course that could lead to further injury and ironically upset the teams relay chances in that way. So there are still many decisions to be made before Helsinki,” concluded Tony Campbell.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
UPDATE: From Felix Sanchez in Los Angeles via Campbell
"I have been working with a shoe specialist, and they are on cutting and shaping my racing shoes so that the protruding part of the foot (with the calcium deposit) is not put under so much pressure when I run."
"Training is going ok but I just don't know how it will feel when it comes to competition especially racing rounds in Helsinki"
