Winning Anyway

Ato Boldon catches up with 110m hurdles world champion David Oliver for the latest episode of IAAF Inside Athletics.

The sprint hurdles can look like a brute of an event. There are ten barriers and 110m to navigate, and invariably not all eight competitors that line-up on the start line make the distance.

Yet David Oliver insists there is a beauty in the chaos.

“It’s a dance, man. It’s just like the waltz or something! It’s choreographed!” he tells Ato Boldon.

Oliver has proved himself one of the most capable dancers of modern times, having waltzed his way to world championship gold at Moscow 2013 and Olympic bronze in Beijing 2008.

Just over a week ago he beat a stacked field to win at the USA Championships in Eugene – his first national title in five years. His stock his high and his reputation fierce, but that does not mean he will ever take a performance for granted.

“Winning the world title was amazing; the best performance of my career; the highlight to this point, and I’m just trying to keep it going,” he says.

“It’s always year to year, race to race in this. Just because you did well in this race, you’ve got to go again and do it again. It’s very tough like that, but it’s cool, because that’s pressure.”

Oliver says the constant wave of new challengers on the domestic and international circuit, though not necessarily affecting his race, makes the event one of the most captivating in track and field.

“There’s always new blood, which keeps it exciting. I think the US has really good, young talent, but I think the French have a lot of good young guys. They’ve got guys, Jamaica have got guys, so it’s cool!

“I don’t really worry about other competitors, I just need to execute on my race and do what I do.”

Post-race with one of the greats Liu Xiang @nikepreclassic pic.twitter.com/BoxW2Ea697

— David Oliver (@doliversub13) May 30, 2015

He might not worry about his competitors, but 6ft 2inch Oliver certainly holds certain rivals high esteem. He recalls the first time he warmed up alongside Liu Xiang in 2005, for instance, and watching the then Olympic champion and world record holder’s every move.

“You have to learn from the greats if you want to be great. You can’t resent success, or you’ll never be successful. You can’t resent money, or you’ll never make money. You have to learn.”

Oliver is philosophical about what he has achieved in the past, and has a similarly que sera attitude about what the future might have in store. Yet his competitive spirit is plain to see, and he is adamant that he will keep going in the sport until he knows he’s done.

“When I retire it won’t be I wake up and be like ‘man I think I could have’ or ‘I wish I’. No. I would know that I got every last drop out of it.”

And regardless of what he goes onto achieve, Oliver says he is already on top.

“If I never stepped foot on a track again, I still won. From where I came from, the things I was doing, to where I’m at now, nobody would have though that. I didn’t even really think so. At the end of the day I won!

“I live a great lifestyle, I’ve won a gold medal before, I’ve been to the Olympics and had success there, I’ve had success in Europe, I’ve touched people’s lives, I have a lot people that support me, which is really important; so it’s like I’m winning anyway! That’s why I never get down!”

In the full 15-minute interview, Oliver also explores different hurdling techniques, talks about how hard it is to maintain form and discusses the cyclical nature of American dominance. Watch it below.