David Oliver Closes in on 110m World Record
Just as one of the greatest hurdlers of all time, Allen Johnson, announced his retirement from an illustrious career, his countryman David Oliver claimed the third fastest time in the event.
Oliver’s personal best is already 0.02 seconds ahead of Johnson’s, leading many to expect that he can match Johnson’s long list of silverware in years to come.
In major competitions, Oliver, 28, has claimed two bronze medals to date. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he finished third in the 110m hurdles event in 13.18 seconds, behind countryman David Payne and Cuban world record holder Dayron Robles.
And in the 2009 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, Oliver finished with a personal best of 7.44 in the 60m hurdles, again behind Robles and Terrence Trammell.
Career Beginnings
Howard University’s head athletics coach, Michael Merritt, recruited Oliver for a successful college career. From 2001 to 2004, Oliver won four consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles.
Oliver graduated from Howard University in 2004 32nd in the national rankings, with a long way to go to the sub 13-second times he has been clocking over the past two years.
In 2006, Oliver finished 5th in the IAAF World Athletics final, but it wasn’t until 2008 that he would start to clock the times that warrant him extensive press attention today. Assisted by a strong tailwind, Oliver finished at 12.89 seconds in the semi-finals of the US Olympic Trials that year. In the final, he clocked 12.95 seconds, beating Trammell before going on to claim the bronze in Beijing.
Oliver's Unusual Build
Oliver’s stature is remarkable for a hurdler. At 6’3” and 210 pounds, Oliver has a physical presence that some will argue is better suited to the 100m sprint or even American Football.
It is commonly said that a slender build is required to smoothly be able to jump the hurdles.
But despite having a larger build than Robles and many of his other competitors, Oliver has managed to turn his commanding stature into an advantage.
His large muscle mass is able to generate tremendous power, and coupled with a technique that has been years in the making on the training ground, Oliver is now able to achieve the results he has been eyeing for so long.
Targeting the World Record in 2010
This season, the American prospect has proven that he will be a force to be reckoned with in all races.
At the USA Championships on June 28, Oliver clocked 12.93 seconds, trailing veteran Johnson’s personal best and one-time world record by only 0.01 seconds.
Then, on July 3 in the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, Oregon, Oliver finished in 12.90 seconds, becoming the third fastest hurdler of all time, shattering the myth that no American hurdler has been able to perform on home soil.
Having recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of many races in the 2009 season, Oliver is back to his best.
In a season that contains no global tournaments, the highlights will include the remaining Diamond League Meetings, with the next event occurring in Paris on Friday.
In France, fans will eagerly anticipate Oliver's challenge to the 12.87 world record set by Robles in 2008. In the right conditions, Oliver will be tipped to succeed.
If so, it would prove another hard-earned success for America’s next great hurdler, who has claimed to have “had to grind for every last thing I've gotten from this sport.”
“I feel that I can be a real inspiration to younger athletes; you don't have to be the best coming up, but if you work hard and listen to the people who have your best interest at heart, you can be successful.”
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