Wallace Spearmon Nly Two Sprinters Ever Have Better Combined Group Grow Up
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T&FN INTERVIEW Wallace Spearmon nly two sprinters ever have better combined group grow up. We knew we would by Jon Oall-around sprint PRs than Wallace Spear- have to. All we had to depend on was mon. They happen to be Olympic 200 champions each other; on coach White to some Hendershott Michael Johnson and Mike Marsh. degree. But that wasn’t the same with The 23-year-old Spearmon has run 9.96, 19.65 him trying to fill Brauman’s shoes. and 45.22 to share No. 3 on the all-time combined But at the same time, he didn’t want list with former SEC rival Xavier Carter. to step on anyone’s toes or cross any Over the course of the last three years Spearmon boundaries. So he was put in a tough has won World Champs silver and bronze medals in position. We had Veronica Campbell- the 200 and ranked in the top 3 in the world each Brown, Omar Brown and 400 hurdler year. He was the No. 2 American last year, rating Derrick Williams in the group. behind only former training mate Tyson Gay. T&FN: This is the first full year with To be the second-rated American in the half- your dad as your coach and you ran a PR lapper, which has become so hypercompetitive in 6.70 in the 60 and 20.19 for 200 in your recent years, still doesn’t satisfy the former Arkansas only indoor meet this winter. But how speedster. He always wants better: would you say things have gone as far as the coaching aspect? T&FN: Last fall, after your season-ending meets Spearmon: We just clicked right off in Asia which included your 100 PR, you said you the bat. There was no down period or felt you didn’t compete to the best of your abilities hesitation. He didn’t come in with an in ’07. Why did you feel that way? ego; he came in first to learn. See how we Spearmon: I’d say because of my fall train- worked out. He just kind of took over ing and everything leading into last season. and things have been going great. I went from doing coach [Lance] Brauman’s T&FN: Your dad ran 20.27 in ’87 and workouts, to working some with Jon Drum- ran in the World Championships that year. mond, and I was also on my own. But has he kept your career, from high school I didn’t feel I had any consistency in through college and now as a professional, coaching. Lacking separate from his? that consistency kind — In A Nutshell — Spearmon: Even when I of messed with my •Personal: born Chicago, Il- was young I went to prac- confidence going into linois, December 24, 1984; tices with my dad, so I was the season. I kind of 6-3/174 (1.91/79) around greats like him and questioned whether I •Schools: Fayetteville (Arkan- Mike Conley and a bunch was ready or not. sas) HS ’03; Arkansas ’04-’05; of great Arkansas jumpers. T&FN: Was that now represents Nike Coach McDonnell too and part of the reason that •PRs: 100—9.96 (’07); 200— the whole track tradition at you decided to go with 19.65 (’06); 400—45.22 (’06); Arkansas. 300i—31.88 WR ’06 your dad, Wallace Sr., I learned that you have Coaches: Lance Brauman (Ar- as your coach? • to be the best. That was kansas, professional), Wallace Spearmon: Yes. I Spearmon Sr. (professional) imprinted in my head and was looking for con- throughout my career I •Major Meets: 100—4)SEC sistency. Coach Brau- ’04, 4)SEC ’05. 200—2)SEC, 1) just never wanted to lose. I man is a great coach NCAA, 8s)OT ’04; 2)SEC, 1)NC, wanted to be like the older and I did think about 4)USATF, 2)WC ’05; 1)US, 1) guys. staying with him. WCup ’06; 2)US, 3)WC ’07 My father likes to set goals But I wanted to keep •World/U.S. Rankings: 100—10, and give me challenges. So things pretty much 2 ’07. 200—x, 7 ’04; 2, 2 ’05; 3, 3 my first year of college, he the same, which they ’06; 3, 2 ’07. told me his PR and I ended had been before last up wiping out every PR he year. Also coach [John] McDonnell and coach had except for the 100, which I only [Kyle] White at UA helped out some too. ran twice. Then, my father knows me. He has always But besides that, he hasn’t really said had coaching tips and keys and guidelines of anything about our careers. He has said, what I should do. So I thought, “Why not?” “You’re faster. You’re a much better He’s here every day and he wants me to run athlete than I ever was.” And every so fast, so I figured I’ll be successful. often, he’ll throw in a joke like, “But I T&FN: You and Tyson Gay both had great still could get you.” loyalty in sticking with Brauman as your coach T&FN: You ran 21.45 as a high school during his incarceration, but can you describe how senior, then 20.25 as a college frosh in difficult it was to manage in that situation? ’04. Besides officially being a member of Spearmon: It kind of made everyone in the the Arkansas team and program, as well 10 — April 2008 ERROL ANDERSON/THE SPORTING IMAGE Track & Field News as physically maturing as an ath- two rounds, that’s no big deal. lete, what was behind that huge But when I went to the Trials and there improvement? were four rounds, I really had no idea what Spearmon: I played so many I was doing. Coach Brauman tried to coach other sports in high school as me, and Tyson and some of the other guys well as track. I think I went to I was with tried to tell me what to do, but I six track practices my whole was a hardheaded young guy and still into the high school career and most of showboat thing. those were for relays. We never Then there was Justin Gatlin. I knew of him did run for effort. but I didn’t think he was going to do what he I was more trying to get in ended up doing at the Olympics. In my first shape and condition for foot- race, I said, “I want to beat him,” but coach ball. I never would have guessed that I would end up running track for a Leader Of The Chain Gang career. Besides his fleet sprinting, Wallace Spear- T&FN: Were you more a mon has another trademark: the chain he fast football player? clenches in his teeth during races. Spearmon: Not really, It keeps him relaxed while running, he ex- but I also think I hexed plains, although he admits, “I can’t remember myself a little when I was exactly what got me started with the chain. It’s young because I would just so common now, I don’t even think about take off slow in a race, just it. A family member got me a chain and I wore playing around. Then I it at practice. I started putting it in my mouth would go catch everybody and I’ve done that ever since.” late. It looked good, but it Naturally, people remark about the adorn- wasn’t the most efficient ment, says Spearmon. “Coach Brauman would way to run. say, ‘Why you got that dang chain in your But that was the cool mouth?’ I said I didn’t know but that it didn’t thing to do when I was in bother me; so I kept on doing it. high school. But now that “A lot of people have asked me, ‘Why do you won’t get you very far. wear that chain?’ Kids ask, ‘Does it taste good? T&FN: After your soph Can you breathe?’ It’s just my thing.” year at Arkansas, how dif- And not just any chain will work: “Nope, I ficult a decision was it to wear one chain. I had a silver one when I was turn pro? in college and then when I went pro I treated Spearmon: That was myself to a white gold one.” ’05 and I had a lot of ups Spearmon says he has never had any and downs that year. It problem in a meet. “I actually took it off once was very tough; my per- in ’06,” he reveals. “I kept losing and losing, formances showed that so I decided to take off my chain and just see I was stressed about it. what would happen. I PRed and left it off for Coach McDonnell told the rest of the season. me once, “I’ve known you “Then the next year I decided to get a new since you were born. If you one and start off fresh. I’ve worn that one were my son, I’d tell you since. I have two chains—but one is faster to turn pro.” than the other.” That made my decision a lot easier because I didn’t want to let down anyone. I didn’t want to let down coach said just to stay behind him. But I wanted to Brauman or coach McDonnell or beat him. Gatlin won in 20.06 and I ran 20.25 the team.