Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training. You can't be lackluster in training and concentrate in a meet.

It drains you on the turns.

My concentration level blocks out everything. Concentration is why some athletes are better than others. You develop that concentration in training and concentrate in a meet.

Maybe he could have just been plain tired, burned out. Lane 1 will do that to you.

No one asked an artist who was great in his 20s and 30s why he was still painting in his 40s and 50s,

A lot of the guys now are 400/200 type of runners. I don't think, being a 400-meter runner, you can sustain long-term performance in the event with just speed type of training. No one has ever been able to do it. So I think it is harder for them to stay in condition year round, especially for big meets, end-of-season major competitions and things.