That 4’52″37 is a top chrono in the non-currently run 2000m is beyond dispute. The performance receives a ‘result score’ of 1210 points at World Athletics. That is even better than Ruben Verheyden’s 1500m record of 3’33″77 (result score 1192). “Very good”, said coach Kim Barbé in TrackRecord. “4’52 means completing two 1000m in 2’26 in a row. That is extremely fast. We used to think that completing a 15000m in itself was a punishment in 3’38. To then add 500m to it… That is a huge great performance.” Ruben Verheyden spoke of a perfect race. “I couldn’t let the gap fall, because you get to the front yourself. I just had to go with the second group. It was advantageous that I was ultimately able to run 19,000m of the 2000m completely on the inside with someone in front of me. In that respect it was the perfect race for me,” said the 1500m specialist, who remained remarkably down-to-earth. “The discharge wasn’t that huge,” he admitted. “On the one hand, I realize that it was ‘only’ a 2000m, which I will quickly put into perspective. On the other hand, I also realize that it was my strongest race of the season on a physical level.”
There will now be 4 major championships in a period of about 9 months: the European Cross Country Championships, the World Indoor Championships, the European Outdoor Championships and the Olympic Games. Normally Ruben will participate in three of those four championships. Hopefully the highlight will be the Games. “We don’t go to a championship to be there. We go there to perform and run in the final,” the duo spoke clearly. Also former Belgian record holder 1500m and 2000m Christophe Impens believes that 22-year-old Ruben Verheyden can still take steps. “Without injuries and with a good winter, he should be able to handle 3’31,” he said in the telephone conversation. “I think he has 3’31 to spare. And if you can do that, an Olympic final is possible.”
Ruben Verheyden is just one of the many Belgian stars in the middle distance. Unlike 800m winner Tibo De Smet, he does not yet have the direct Olympic limit in his pocket. “Tibo is a wonderful athlete and that was a wonderful achievement. The Olympic limit he ran deserved more attention than what he received at that meeting in Ninove,” Ruben Verheyden rightly noted. Ruben and Kim also discuss their highlights of the Memorial and the entire athletics season and talk about their years of collaboration, mental guidance and dealing with injuries, among other things.
View below or on us Youtube Channel of Spotify the full episode.
2023-09-16 10:18:52
#Ruben #Verheyden #Kim #Barbé #Track #Record
