Kostantinos Kederis of Greece winning the 200m at the European Cup (© Getty Images)
Heraklion, CreteThe appearance of Kostas Kederis in the 200m here tomorrow evening will be the highlight of the 2004 Tsiklitirias meeting and will also be the last competition of the reigning 200m Olympic champion before he undertakes his title defence in the Olympic stadium in Athens next month.
Scheduled for 21.30pm local time, the half-lap race is the final event of the evening before the stadium becomes the scene of more national fervour as Greece face Portugal in the final of the European Football Cup final, with a special big screen installed in the stadium to enable the local fans to follow the match after what promises to be an exciting evening of athletics.
Kederis looks fresh and relaxed on the eve of just his third competition this year, although he insists that he is never over confident before any competition: “So far my season started well, I am happy with my training. I started with a time of 10.18 in the 100 metres and I am looking forward to a better performance tomorrow (when he will race in the 200). I am sure that things will be much better at the Olympic Games.
“I am winding down my training now in the lead-up to Athens; the hard training is over, now the focus is on fine-tuning. Earlier in the season the focus was on building strength, now I am concentrating on speed.
“I do not feel a lack of competition. This is the way that I work. I am 31 years old now. I feel and hope that I am really in top shape.
“I am not too relaxed about tomorrow’s race. You never know in competition so you can never anticipate and relax. With these three competitions this year, the most important thing for me is to improve my time. My opponent is the time.
Does he worry more about the time or about winning?
“That depends. It depends on the race. In training and at smaller events, it is the time that matters. At the Olympic Games or a World Championships, it is winning that counts. When I also run a good time when winning, that is a bonus. Of course, at the Olympic Games, it is only the winning that counts, there is no other option there.
“At the moment, time is a measure of progress , not whether I win or not.”
Speaking of his age as he does, one wonders whether this Olympics might not be a final objective before retirement from competition?
“Not at all, why would I stop when I feel could and my body and heart are in good shape? Also thanks to the fact that I do not compete so much as other athletes, I still really look forward to competitions, it has not become a routine. That is the way that I want it to stay.
“The biggest thing in life is not monetary things. For me that is not what counts. Every individual has to know what they need, it is different for everyone.”
Kostas Kederis is a national hero in his homeland, how does this affect the way that he feels when he is competing?
“In my heart is Greece, so of course, when I am competing, when I am running for myself I am running for Greece. I do not feel like a national hero; I feel like everyone else. It is just that I am someone who is able to run and I enjoy this, but it is important that I can be proud for my country.”
Part of that pride will be shown tomorrow, when Kederis will stay in the stadium with the rest of the fans hoping to see Greece triumph in that other competition in Portugal.
Sean Wallace-Jones
IAAF New Media Manager
