My
college coach suggested that I take up dancing classes a few years back,
to improve hip mobility. I'm not really the dancing type, so I ignored
his advice! I chose hurdle drills over dancing lessons! But then again,
hip mobility is imperative for efficient hurdling clearance.
Michelle Jenneke obviously doesn't share my dancing shyness. The Australian
junior has become the latest internet sensation, thanks to a viral
Youtube video of her doing a pre-race dancing jig before her qualifying
heat.
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| Screenshot from Al-Jazeera Sport |
Lo and behold, this young Aussie is a
hurdling gem. She topped her heat in effortless fashion, registering a
time of 13.52s. She ran 13.41s in the semis, two-hundredths of second
off her personal best. Jenneke’s technique is picture perfect. It is
efficient. There is hardly any wasted movement. Her trail leg action, as
expected, is remarkably snappy. She even clears with a bowed lead foot. Indeed, she is every inch the hurdling technician.
Michelle eventually wound up fifth in the final, stopping the clock in 13.54s.
You can see from her expression and her
body language that she really loves what she is doing. I’ve said it
before and I’ll say it again: happy hurdlers are formidable competitors.
The bubbly Aussie takes the concept further by adding the dance factor,
reminiscent of such classy performers like Blanka Vlasic and Chaunte
Lowe.
P.S.
Netizens are calling her the new Allison Stokke. Let's just hope that this does not go overboard.
P.S.
Netizens are calling her the new Allison Stokke. Let's just hope that this does not go overboard.
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