Cathy Freeman Interview

Last year we went to the Continental Cup in Split. As we were doing some interviews and stuff for the IAAF, we were invited to a swanky party the night before it started in a big castle by the harbour. When we arrived there was a champagne reception and the likes of Seb Coe, Lamine Diack, Irena Szewińska, Frankie Fredericks and Wilson Kipketer were all in attendance. Now we're not exactly shy retiring types, but when we were lead into the room where dinner was being served, as you could sit where you liked, we decided it was best if we hid up the back. 

We introduced ourselves to the other people on the table but there were a few empty seats and a few minutes later we heard someone behind us say 'Excuse but are these seats free, could we sit here?'. It's not often that either of us are gobsmacked but then it's not everyday that an athletics goddess asks politely if they can join you for dinner. We of course readily agreed. 'I'm Cathy' she unnecesarily added 'And this is my husband James'. 

                                      Jody with IAAF Director of Broadcast Ernest Obeng, 
                                             Cathy and Frankie Fredericks at the dinner.

We'd gone from feeling a bit out of place and self concious to sharing our table with  a legend and she couldn't have been sweeter. She said that she'd felt a bit out of place as well and hadn't been sure where to sit. She was every bit as down to earth and lovely as you would expect. Turned out James was hilarious as well and we had a fabulous evening.

We hung out with them for the rest of the trip watching the action in the stadium together and going to some weird party afterwards with a free bar and buffet but no people??? We sat in a corner having a drink or 2 whilst debating world athletics with Wilson.

                                           With Cathy and James in the stadium in Split

When we first decided to do these interviews Cathy was right at the top of our list but we weren't sure if she would want to do it. Turns out she was more than happy to and it's an absolute cracker!!!

Apologies for the delay in posting it. We've had all kinds of technical probs including getting locked out of our own blog. We're back now though so keep an eye out for lots more stuff coming soon and details of our next interview any day now..

Over to you Cathy!!!


Jody and Bayo

Let’s start at the beginning, can you tell us how you first got involved in athletics ?

I ran my first race when I was 5 years old at school. I won even though I ran into a fence before the start. I ended up running with 1 eye open and the other closed because of my fence accident beforehand.

J&B
 
Our first memory of you is running at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1990 at the age of 16. Lots of young athletes especially girls have a hard time with the transition from junior to senior. How was it for you? And do you have any advice for teenagers doing the same?

The transition from junior athletics into senior ranks was quite problem free and easy for me.  I believe this was due to a number of factors.

I have an easy going and laid back nature which allows me to be adaptable and flexible to change.  Another reason was that my older and more experienced team mates truly looked out for me. I was very fortunate in this regard.

A very important factor also was my support team, of my parents, manager, and coach.  They were quite strong in the sense that they looked out for my best interests.  Between them all, I always felt protected and very well looked after.  Again, I was extremely fortunate.

If there’s any advice I would offer to teenagers going through this particular transition, it would involve being clear about your needs, concerns, goals, aspirations and your real fears within your support group. If you don’t have a support group, then creating one of your own starts by reaching out to your fellow athletes and their coaches, or your parents/guardians and maybe your local athletics club.

I would encourage all teenagers to basically exercise their communication skills because this is absolutely vital if you are to commence realising your athletics capabilities and potential.

J&B

Your breakthrough year was 94 when you won the 200m/400m at the Commonwealth Games. You then caused controversy by carrying the aboriginal as well as Australian flag in the lap of honour. Did you know you were being controversial?

I certainly didn’t realise I was being controversial.  In my mind and heart I was demonstrating a pride in my ancestry and celebrating my victories with all Australians and particularly with Australia’s first people – the indigenous population of which I’m so proud to be a part. I was utterly focused on my racing that creating any kind of external reaction was the farthest thing from my mind.

J&B

In '96 you came second in the 400m at the OG in one of the best races of all time, what were your expectations going in to the race and where you happy with the result?

I told my coach at the time that I was going to win a silver medal and I went on to do so. In hindsight I’m a little annoyed I didn’t believe I could’ve won the gold medal.  Having said this, my rival, Marie Jose Perec was a truly deserving victor and champion. 

Even though I lacked self belief, that soon changed after I won my silver.  I ran a new personal best and set an Australian record of 48.63 and my confidence went to an all time high setting me up for the next 4 year Olympic campaign.

Winning the silver further cemented my desire for an Olympic gold medal. I got a sniff of Olympic success and I wanted a mouthful of the ultimate success next time.

Rog and liuxuan 

Cathy ran 48.63 in the 96 OG final, significantly faster than she had ever run before or ever would again - indeed she only got within 0.5 of a second once, in the 2000 final. Why does she think that is? 

Thanks Rog and liuxuan.

As a competitor I only ran fast enough to win so the better quality the competition, the faster my run would be. Perec, really, was the only one who could even get me to ‘run of my skin’ because in my mind she was absolutely ‘the one’ to beat!

If Perec has been in the Sydney 2000 Olympic final, I would’ve at least gotten under 49 seconds quite comfortably. However, this was not to be.

Patriot

Do you feel you could have run faster than 48.63?

Absolutely, however, I needed a fit and healthy Perec to do so.

mojo

 

What were her final thoughts as she got in the blocks to run the 400m Final in Sidney?

My final thoughts took place back in the warm up track and this thought was ‘just do what I know.’ once I was in the stadium, I was totally on autopilot, meaning that I was untouchable and I had an impenetrable focus on my race that evening. I was thoughtless because I trusted in the moment, in myself and words aren’t necessary – only actions!  

Thanks for the question mojo

vip

How much did Nike pay her to wear that jumpsuit? (Hopefully a lot.) And was it hot? And did the suit restrict her stride? And has she ever been offered money for it?

The amount of money I was given to wear that Swiftsuit is a figure that will never be disclosed because to be quite frank I don’t know what the amount was. No doubt my management at the time will know as I was totally focussed on my athletics preparation and performances rather than the business aspect of my sporting career involving my sponsors and the arrangement I entered into.

The Swiftsuit wasn’t hot at all and in actual fact I was quite comfortable. Mind you, I could’ve been wearing a hippopotamus suit and I would’ve been so ready for my Sydney 2000 Olympic final that I’d waited 17 years for.  My stride certainly wasn’t restricted.

The Swiftsuit is currently on loan and on display in Australia at Melbourne’s National Sports Museum which is always worth visiting when you are down under, vip.

Paul

You won one of the biggest races in athletics history while wearing a funny hat. Would you have won without it?

Ha ha ha ha, Thanks Paul. I absolutely would’ve won regardless of whether I was wearing something on my head or not! Ha!

J&B

There are plenty of examples of athletes not performing well under pressure, how on earth did you hold it together??!!

Basically, my perspective on life is super important in terms of the beliefs and principles I live my life by, which absolutely is a stabilising influence. I have a strong connection/attachment to my ancestors which allows me to always have a sense of belonging to a very special group of people. I also have a strong sense of connection to nature and a higher consciousness so I feel a part of a world of wonder and power.

I have a quirky sense of humour so I don’t take myself too seriously. I love the people of whom I belong to, I love the place of which I come from and am a part of, and I love and accept with grace the person I am – warts and all.

Basically it’s these components that helped me stay calm and relaxed throughout my 2000 Olympic campaign.


Pentathlete

I would like to know how she didn't let the pressure cause her to go out too fast in the first 200m. I think she was in the most pressured position of any T&F Olympian.

Going into the Sydney 2000 final I knew exactly what my race tactics had to be and that included what actions I needed to avoid as well.

An action to be avoided included going out too hard and there was a real possibility I could’ve done that due to the emotional relevance of the race for me personally.

Athletes, and I’m no exception, often become over stimulated and over excited and let their hunger for results get the better of them causing tactics to be disrupted and therefore compromising preferable results.

Like everybody, I have learnt the hard way of racing with unsuitable race tactics and on the night of Sydney 2000 Olympics, I absolutely ran tactics perfectly to my coach’s instruction.

Mind you, Pentathlete2, I was always the last athlete to leave the blocks anyway!

Andre Sammartino

How important was her shift back to her original coach Peter Fortune in the lead up to her Olympic victory?

Andre, I trust Peter and I know him and vice versa.  This is the key to an easy and most effective athlete coach relationship. Our entire relationship was always based on respect and trust and that’s why Peter was always a part of my support team commencing from 1991 through to my retirement.

PCSExponent
 

How does she feel about Perec's withdrawal in 2000 and the circumstances surrounding it, and does she think the race would have been different had Perec been in it?

A classic hypothetical PCSExponent.  I totally admire and respect Perec and I always will. I really missed her in the Sydney Olympics and I believe I would’ve really run ‘out of my skin’ had she been fit, healthy and hungry for a 4^th Olympic gold medal in the final. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

Without any disrespect for my fellow competitors of that Sydney 2000 Olympic final, none of those girls were of the same quality and calibre of Perec. I feel most athletics pundits would agree.

Jon Mulkeen

 

It seems at every Games since Sydney there is one athlete who will have what the media call "their Cathy Freeman moment". Such pressure didn't turn out so well for the Greeks in 2004, and Liu Xiang also had a tough time in 2008. What would Cathy's words of advice be for the likes of Ennis, Radcliffe and Idowu to help them cope with the pressure in 2012?

My immediate reaction to this question is for me to encourage the likes of Ennis, Radcliffe and Idowu, to be “true to yourselves”. One simply cannot put a foot wrong.  You have to be honest and sincere in your feelings, thoughts and actions. When such purity of purpose occurs it creates magic.  Having a focus on humour and fun doesn’t go astray, and being at one with your support group is a powerful tool to have as well. 

Thanks Jon. 

Paul

Is there a 'right' way to pace a 400m (even pace, or blast-cruise-blast, or cruise-blast-die, say)?  Did you ever actually race at 400m -- I mean did you pay attention to what the others were doing;  or always just run your own best race? 

Great question Paul.

There is definitely a tactic that works to your own strengths in a 400 metre race and it indeed takes patience to figure out where your strengths lay in the one lap race e.g. explosiveness in the first 30 metres, or a very strong kick in the last 120 metres. 

I always became aware of my fellow competitor’s strengths in a 400m event whether I experienced them in an actual race, or whether I watched their tactics in a race on television. 

I particularly watched very closely Perec’s race tactics because for me to compete well against her, I had to be prepared for where her strengths lay in the running race so I could stay with her and win - hopefully.

Gabriella  

I'm interested in how she feels the 400m should ideally be run; a late surge in the final 100m from Christine Ohuruogu? Sanya Richards approach of a fast 100m, cruise the next 100m then hit it with 200m to go? The typical Russian approach of blast from the gun or very even splits a'la Jearl Miles?

Well Gabriella the way a 400 metre race should be run really depends on the type of athlete running the distance because everybody has different strengths to draw on and various styles of running movements that suits those strengths. I believe it’s that invisible ingredient of the competitive instinct that plays a major part in the way a runner dictates their tactics when racing 400 metres.

The best tacticians draw on their competitive instincts and desire to be the best they can be.  This creates physical relaxation that gives way to the body opening up and flowing and doing what it’s actually capable of doing. Generally speaking though, regardless of the kind of runner or mover you are, putting in a powerful and utterly explosive first 30 metres straight out of the blocks sets you up perfectly in a 400 metre race. 

A furious and fast start out of the blocks, so the first and 2^nd 100 is completely about setting up flow, ease and very quick leg turnover and relaxation for the rest of the one lap distance.

The 2^nd bend is where the pace should quicken without any sudden changes, but rather with, again, a relaxed yet intensified leg turn over and aggressive mind set to absolutely running yourself home across the finish line.

With about 150- 120 metres to go before the finish line, relaxation is vital, power, poise and grace is the key! A focus on your form, on your position in the race (which hopefully is in first place) and quick, light and economical movements allow your competitive instinct to carry you across the finish line in a favourable position.

Hopefully, as an athlete you are at ease and at peace emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically, then the chances of fulfilling your 400 metre potential is highly likely. 

Rog
  
The 400 is at a pretty low ebb at the moment, and tends to be prone to frequent down periods. Does she have an opinion of this? 

She's a great interview candidate btw, her run in Sydney was inspirational.

 Allyson Felix could very well rejuvenate women’s 400 metre racing undoubtedly if she decided to make it her priority. As long as Allyson is racing, I don’t feel that ‘a pretty low ebb’ at the moment for the 400.

I appreciate the compliment by the way Rog.

 Andre Sammartino

How does Cathy view the current state of Australian athletics (especially at the grassroots level), and does she feel any pull towards administration?

I’m feeling very optimistic about Australian Athletics especially at a grassroots level particularly because Athletics Australia President Rob Fildes is promoting unity and encouraging discussions between all national grassroots athletics organisations which is very reassuring and bodes for a bright future for the sport.

I don’t feel a pull towards administration however I am always ‘only a phone call away’ for all athletes and their support groups which include administrators.

Rog

Australia used to have any number of great female sprinters - Jackson, Cuthbert, Strickland, Boyle, herself etc, but has no-one of that standard now. Why does she think the standards were so high then, and lower now?

All great runners, Rog.  I feel each era, including today’s, are incomparable to each and every other era in terms of athlete performances and their results due to differing political landscapes, technological advances, and global commercial realities of the times that athletes had to live with

Today it’s a much more competitive environment on a number of levels.  This is one component impacting on today’s athletes and the standards that they are a part of which reflect the results that they’re achieving in their sport.

    This makes us cry from beginning to end. The minute 

Raelene pushes Betty in we're in floods of tears

Andre Sammartino

  
And the perennial one any pregnant former athlete should be asked "does she think her child should become a professional track runner?"

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Very cheeky Andre.  I will encourage our child to be a healthy and happy human being and what this means exactly, for now remains to be seen!

Patriot 

Well done guys, good scoop

Only two women have run below 48 seconds. Do you think that any of the current specialists are capable of approaching 47.60?

Allyson Felix is my favourite current 400 metre runner, (although she isn’t focussing on the event solely.) Do I believe she can run in the space of 47.60? I believe that the chance of this is highly unlikely.

Patriot, I feel that if Perec couldn’t then nobody can!

                                                       Bayo with MJP in Berlin 2009

Gabriella

 

I'd like to hear her thoughts on Ohuruguo and Richards-Ross in terms on CO's back-to-back wins in 07 and 08 and RR's 'failures' in the same years, despite being the faster woman on paper.

Regardless of statistics on paper, winning an Olympics is the optimum achievement because it is the most coveted title.

Clearly then this means that Ohuruguo has the fortitude and character it takes to be an Olympic champion.

Being an Olympic champion speaks volume about her and her support team and ability to be focussed, poised and prepared for performance under pressure.


Patriot

Are you in contact with any of your rivals from the 90s eg Perec, Sandy Richards, Falilat Ogunkoya etc ?

Sandie Richards is a dear and beloved friend of mine and we stay in regular touch.

                                               Jody with Sandie Richards Madrid 2002

Speedster 

What did she think her true 100m potential was?

I didn’t focus on and appreciate my pure speed capability enough and in turn I didn’t prepare my pure speed component as thoroughly as what, in hindsight, I might have.

If I had taken my pure speed seriously maybe I could’ve take my personal best of 11.24 down to possibly 11.10/11.00.

What was her favourite meet on the circuit?

My favourite track is in Monte Carlo, however, my favourite meet would have to be Crystal Palace.  I always felt so at home there given that I was based in London 4 months a year.
 
She only had a few real significant injuries during her career, what did she feel was her secret for staying healthy?

My intuition and instinct to self-preserve was guided by the level of pain and/or discomfort that pervaded my day to day lifestyle and training.

I always trusted my own judgement especially because an Olympic victory just meant too much to me to jeopardise my chances.

Good questions Speedster.

Gabriella

I'd like to put her on the spot and ask her predictions for Daegu and London, particularly the latter, in the women's 400m. Can Ohuruguo retain her title? Will Richards-Ross or Felix finally win individual gold (in the 400m)?

You can never underestimate an Olympic champion competing in their home Olympic Games! Ohuruguo cannot be discounted for 2012.

I’m sure Richard-Ross is hungry for Olympic glory.  She obviously is physically capable of running fast enough times.

I feel that Felix is very capable of taking out both 400m World and Olympic titles – but does she want to?

She’s my favourite 400 metre runner for her graceful and free flowing running style, whilst she also has very credible 100 and 200 metre potential.

All three athletes surely must understand that winning a world title in the lead up to an Olympic games has to be a major confidence booster and the best scenario.

The mystery of unknown athletic potential lives within athletes and that’s why surprising performances happen in the heat of Olympic final competitions.

I will be watching the women’s 400 metre Olympic final with much excitement in 2012.

Gabriella you put me on the spot and I think I sat on the fence!!

Jack Perryman

Hi Cathy,

First of all congratulations on winning Olympic Gold in Sydney 2000 and taking on the expectation of a nation. It's my favourite race, no question. :-)

My question is who would you include in the greatest women's 400m Final of all time? Be it times, personalities, ability...You have to include yourself of course ;-) Thaank’s!!

Thank you for my message of congratulations Jack.

My ideal women’s 400 metre race would include:

Perec

Felix

Richards-ross

Freeman

Koch

Kratochvilova

Vladykina-Bryzgina

Ohuruogu

Alucard

 

I’d like to ask her to rank the top 5 female quarter miler of all time and the top 5 she competed against. 

Tough one Alucard.

Top 5 female quarter miler of all time: Koch, Kratocvilova, Vladykina-Bryzgina, Perec, Kocembova

Top 5 I’ve competed against: Perec, Graham, Guevara, Jackson, Ogunkoya

Rog  

Did she ever consider the 800? 

Rog, I would’ve loved to have seriously attempted the 800 metres. I believe I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it including the training and preparation, and I would’ve totally surprised myself and others with my potential.

Of course attempting the 800 wasn’t even on my radar when I was nearing the end of my career in 2003. 

My curiosities will always remain about my capability in the 2 lap event and I’ll always be wondering how life would’ve played out had I planned to race the 800 after the 2000 Olympics!

Jody and Bayo

What have you been up to since retirement? 

I founded the Cathy Freeman Foundation in 2007, which is my greatest passion outside of my family. 

www.cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au

 

I’m also, at the time I’m answering these questions, am expecting to give birth to our first child any day now. So parenthood is also a major feature in my life!

Great to be a part of your blog Jody and Bayo.  Thanks for the invitation!

Since our interview Cathy has given birth to baby Ruby. We'd like to send congratulations from all your fans at Athletics Spectacular to both Cathy and James. 

If anyone would like to thank Cathy you can donate to her foundation here  

http://www.cathyfreemanfoundation.org.au/Default.aspx?tabid=64

and please post your thoughts below.