Thursday, May 06, 2021
Metcalf’s unlikely plan
NFL pro stirs up the sprint elite
How do you get to the Olympic Games as an American footballer? NFL pro DK Metcalf may have found a way. It leads 100 meters straight over the tartan track. Sounds simple, but it is probably not that easy for the fast wide receiver from the Seattle Seahawks.
Little more than his well-defined calves can be seen when DK Metcalf sneaks past the camera in slippers. The football star drops black spikes with golden soles on the tartan track, the date May 9 is displayed every eight seconds on Twitter, the clock is ticking. On Sunday, the wide receiver actually wants to compete in the golden games of the US athletes in the supreme discipline of 100 meters. A step on the way to the Olympics in Tokyo?
Metcalf, 1.93 meters tall, 104 kilograms, is bursting with strength – and self-confidence. Normally, the 23-year-old catches balls for the Seattle Seahawks in the US professional league NFL, in order to then ensure with his speed and all his force to gain as much space as possible or in the best case a touchdown. In his position he belongs to the elite.
His physique is his great strength, the best prerequisites for switching to the track. And that’s why Metcalf, whose body fat percentage is a fabulous 1.6 percent according to media reports (“normal people” have around 20), takes on the challenge. Last year, the USATF (USA Track and Field) athletics federation invited him to the trials on Twitter. “See you there,” Metcalf replied with a smiley, now he’s serious.
A mad run
The reason for the offer was one of the most exciting scenes of the past NFL season. A pass from Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson landed shortly before the opponent’s end zone in the hands of Budda Baker, the safety of the Arizona Cardinals ran in the opposite direction on the sidelines, Metcalf reacted. The pass catcher followed Baker across the field, brought him down a few yards from his own end zone and prevented the touchdown.
The fact that Metcalf, matchup nightmare for the defenders, is fast, was known at least since the Combine. In the performance test for draft candidates, it took him 4.33 seconds to complete the 40-yard dash. The best time is 4.22.
At the Golden Games in Walnut, California, the former hurdler has to create 10.05 seconds to safely qualify for the US trials. According to NBC, a time of 10.20 seconds (with no more than two meters of tailwind) could be enough for a place in the Olympic qualification. But is that possible?
During his chase, Metcalf was “flashed” at a top speed of 36.44 kilometers per hour – with gear and helmet. The Jamaican Usain Bolt achieved an average speed of 37.58 kilometers per hour with a top speed of 44.72 kilometers per hour in his world record run (9.58 seconds) in 2009.
At a continuous 36.44 kilometers per hour Metcalf would need 9.88 seconds for 100 meters, but without taking into account the reaction time and the start from the block. So doubts are appropriate, for the career changer, fun should be in the foreground. Or not?
“DK’s agent told us he really wanted to go to the Olympics and asked what steps to take,” said Adam Schmenk, USATF Managing Director, Yahoo Sports. He knows that professional athletes can do “superhuman things”, says Schmenk, “but we also know that there are differences between speed and speed on the track. We hope that DK’s presence will lead people to turn on the television. “
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