Tico track star Nery Brenes came back from Istanbul with a huge smile and a shiny gold medal to offer to his people. The current World Champion on the 400-meter category is very deserving of the clamor he is currently enjoying, and the effusiveness he has shown is solid proof. While Nery’s incredible athleticism and hard work have certainly paid off, a series of articles in La Nacion indicate that Walter Salazar -Nery’s trainer- resorted to methods of scientific inquiry to capitalize on the fruits of Nery’s training.

Trainer Salazar bargained with trial and error in Guadalajara, Mexico. At the Pan American Games, Salazar instructed Nery to do avoid those two staples of the 400-meter race: the energetic start to secure an early lead, and the explosive finish to overtake competitors. He finally earned gold at the Pan American Games, but Salazar was employing a strategy in which Nery maintained a constant speed.

The constant speed strategy did not pay off past Guadalajara. Brenes kept the constant speed, but he was slower and began to make mistakes. He invaded an opponent’s lane in Karsluhe, Germany. A week later he suffered a spectacular fall within 20 meters of the finish line in Birmingham that left him visibly flustered.

A Matter of Psychology

Walter Salazar studied physical education at the University of Costa Rica and the University of Indiana, but then obtained a Ph.D. In sports psychology from Arizona State University. He is a keen observer of the human body and the spirit, and he favors scientific inquiry in athletic training. His own athletic experience is in obstacle racing, and he is also a photographer who closely analyzes his subjects.

Part of Walter’s strategy in training Nery has been to observe his performance every 100 meters. He observes videos and photos, and he often encourages his subjects to try new things without worrying too much about the outcome. He knows that Nery can become emotional and sprint forcefully at key moments of the race, something that he turned into a constant speed strategy instead.

There’s also the matter of Nery’s personality. He has confessed that prior to the Pan American Games in Mexico he had lots that hunger of becoming the world’s best, and that the off-handed remarks by some Ticos after his technical foul and his spill in England hurt him. Istanbul became the stage for Nery to overcome his own personal odds and once again bask in the glow of victory.