1/31/2024 0 Comments Brett walker joe walker![]() She had a long jump session yesterday and looked really good. She is not being the tourist very much, because she is so focused on the task at hand. She has adapted well to all the travel and the time change and her workouts have been good. Brittney got a chance to see the USA women's basketball team play a game and really enjoyed that a lot. Still, it was a moment to remember for a lifetime. Brittney was really excited to be involved in the opening ceremony although she wasn't able to see all of it since the athletes in the parade of nations had to stay in a holding area during part of it. They are able to eat American style meals there and interact with all the other USA athletes from various sports, but also all the athletes from around the world. She is rooming with Shana Marks, the USA Triple Jump champion. Brittney is in the Olympic Village where there are approximately 10,000 athletes. ![]() This is quite an experience for both of us. Greetings from China from Brittney and me. One stick is easy to break, but a bundle of sticks is almost unbreakable. ![]() As we all know, no one does these things alone. Both of us thank all of you who have given such great support to her. I continue to think the Bible verse from Esther, "perhaps you were made for a time like this" fits Brittney pretty well. I told her today thanks for a great moment in what I think will be a long career of great moments. I am excited about the possibilities that await Brittney in the finals. She, like Brit, knows how to take care of business. Her mom, Carla, is one of the really neat people I have met and is a strong role model for her daughter. She has her mom here along with a couple of aunts, but as of this writing, neither Brittney nor I had actually seen and talked with them, but it helps when you have a family like hers that supports her to the fullest. I am so proud of her, not only the great jumping, but in how she handles it and how well she represents all of us-Ole Miss, her family, her state, and the US. On Thursday, she and I will go through a very light workout just to keep her body on edge and to make sure she doesn't get sluggish. She will take a day off now and probably get a massage. Once she had hit the automatic mark, she did not jump again. It turned out to be only one of three automatic qualifiers and the longest of the day when the competition was over. She went back and made a slight adjustment in the length of the run, and then on her next approach she came down and hit a big jump. What is so great about Brittney is that she has the poise under pressure to go along with her God given leaping ability. Often a foul makes a competitor start to worry and not trust their training and preparation. Then, on the first attempt, probably due to the adrenaline and the crowd, she pushed out of the back a little harder than normal which left her just a tiny bit over at the board which produced a foul. On meet day, she warmed up good and her approach was both fast and accurate. USA Track has since changed its policy, so I was able to be right there on the front row at the long jump area which helps a lot in situations like this. When I went to Sydney with Savante (Stringfellow), I was unable to get a pass for the coach’s box, which greatly limited my ability to help. ![]() At any rate, we left the practice the day before full of confidence. In her case, the best way for her to fight is to have a long flight into the pit. So accept it and use it to help you focus and have that extra push when the battle comes. The nervousness and extra adrenaline are nature’s way of getting the body ready for the "fight or flight" syndrome. We also talked about the fact that being nervous can be used to your advantage. If she wouldn't allow it to get into her head and create a lack of trust in her preparation and her approach, then she and I felt like things would be fine. Her job was to eliminate any worry about how fast the runway was supposed to be and just concentrate on the run and the jump. Brittney and I talked about that the day before her competition and agreed that on several occasions she had jumped in less than favorable conditions without letting it affect her mental approach. Several of the jumpers in the men's long jump and the women's long jump had approach problems. Her performance was a combination of having properly prepared herself for this moment mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. We just finished the long jump qualifying round and Brittney certainly didn't let anyone down. Reese is competing in the women's long jump finals on Friday. Ole Miss track & field head coach Joe Walker is traveling with USA Olympian and former Rebel Brittney Reese in Beijing and reported the following blog to.
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