By JIM KERNAGHAN -- London Free Press
The well-defined survival instincts of the serious amateur athlete are evident in Canada's top decathlon man after his morning workout with a former Olympic medallist.
Nothing, Dorchester's Mike Nolan says following his Windsor training session with ex-decathlon star Dave Steen, will divert him from his Olympic path.
Not the knee injury. Not the ankle injuries. Not the debilitating illness.
Not even getting his pocket picked by Sport Canada.
Let's take them in order. Injuries are as much a part of the decathlon man's lot as they are of a pro in contact sport. The two-day, 10-discipline test could be compared to taking on 10 different opponents across a full range of the martial arts, then running a gauntlet.
The first day, they take on the 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 metres. On gruelling Day 2 they get the 110-metre hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 metres.
Day 3, they get to count the bruises.
It is not for nothing decathletes merit some consideration as the world's finest athletes. Aside from strength, speed and endurance, durability is absolutely essential.
Nolan's illness, his strength-sapping bout with mononucleosis, was the equivalent of a severe injury. Actually, an injury would have been better.
Out of the sickness arose Nolan's getting uncarded -- losing federal financial support accorded fullt-time international class athletes based on a fall-off of results last year. In the words of an old boxing man, he should of stood in bed.
"He continued to try to compete and because of it, lost his C card," said University of Windsor and Windsor Legion coach Dennis Fairall. "It's as though it would have been better to be a wimp than try to be strong."
Nolan, after training with 1988 Olympic decathlon bronze medallist Steen yesterday, contemplated the obstacles that have popped up in front of him in his quest to make the Canadian team for the Sydney Olympics in September.
"I made the mistake of trying to compete and the effort worked against me," he said. "But that's part of being an amateur athlete. You can't let it disrupt your plans."
While Fairall suspects there are some vestiges of the mono, Nolan has no complaints about his replenished power.
"I've been progressing rapidly and my blood chemistry is pretty well back where it should be," he said. "I'm probably as strong as I've ever been, which is something I couldn't say the past two years."
Nolan's ticket to the Olympics is numbered 8,050. That's the number of decathlon points the Canadian Olympic Association has set as the standard.
Three years ago at the premier decathlon event in the world in Goetzis, Austria, he hit 8,009 points for 10th place among the world's best decathletes. At a recent meet in Florida, Nolan amassed 7,599 points despite what Fairall says were sub-par performances in the 100 metres and long jump. .
Nolan has a couple of powerful motivators in his quest for an Olympics berth. Besides Fairall, he has Steen preparing him.
"Dave's strength is simplicity," Nolan said. "A lot of technical information can sometimes overwhelm you but he breaks it down to one thing at a time. You work on that and nothing else for a day or two."
Nolan hopes to surpass the COA standard as early as possible. If not, he'll get a chance at the Olympic multi-event qualifiers in Windsor before plenty of supporters.
That comes up Aug. 4-6 at Sandwich Secondary School and it could be a dominant London show. Locals Catherine Bond-Mills, top heptathlete in the country the past decade, and per potential successor, Jessica Zelinka of Banting in the juniors are favoured along with Nolan.
