Friday, October 16, 2009

Stalwart of the Faith

This is what I'm doing this weekend. :
www.beijing-marathon.com

"He ran that day, everyone said, like a man inspired. But, in fact, he should never have won a race at all. Modern coaches would have been appalled at his running style. It was like his public speaking-- poor. . . "Liddle had a curious action, swinging his arms very high, bringing his knees well up, and throwing his head well back," said his competitor Innes Stewart. . . But that extraordinary style propelled him towards the finishing tape faster than anyone else in the world. And the exhilaration on his face as he ran! The exultation on his face as he threw back his head!
A fascinating insight into the style comes from Ian Charleston, the actor who plays Eric Liddell in the film, Chariots of Fire. . ."I suddenly realized--Liddell must have run like that. He must have run with his head up and literally trusted to go there. He ran with faith. He didn't even look where he was going. So I can see how that would have given him a lot of extra push in a way. He just let go, completely relaxed."

Sally Magnusson's The Flying Scotsman: A Biography of Eric Liddell, page 37.

No comments:

Post a Comment