Coghlan Took Advantage of ‘Defeatist Attitudes’

Enhancing his credentials as the Chairman of the Boards, Eamonn Coghlan also qualified for a doctor’s degree in psychology Friday night.

Coghlan, already holder of the world indoor records in the mile and 1,500 meters, added a third by winning the 2,000-meter run in The Times/GTE Indoor Games at the Forum. His time was 4:54.07, which obliterated both Steve Scott and Scott’s record of 4:58.6.

The Chairman dumped his customary come-from-behind tactics to take charge after a half-mile and win by at least 40 yards.

Coghlan said he was surprised that no one ran with him through the final laps.

Then again, he wasn’t surprised.

A long and distinguished career has taught the 34-year-old Irishman a good deal about mind games.

“I could sense that many of the runners had a defeatist attitude,” he said. “I noticed it around the hotel and even on the track before the race.

“I knew I was ready and could use that to my advantage. I wasn’t going to go in with that same attitude.”

Asked what he meant by a defeatist attitude, Coghlan said:

“Well, John Walker was saying that he was really looking forward to going home (to New Zealand) Sunday, and Ray Flynn was worried because he hadn’t been running well, and even Scott came over to me before the race and asked if I was going to run in some rinky-dink race in May.

“That was a real giveaway to Steve’s attitude. Normally, if you’re confident and have your mind on the race, you’re not going to focus on another runner before it starts, let alone ask about some other race down the road.

“I don’t say any of this out of disrespect, it was just that I had a real good attitude coming in, and I don’t think some of the others had that same attitude.”

It showed, of course, as Coghlan easily beat a classy field.

“I knew the record was relatively soft,” he said, “but that I’d still have to run hard to get it.

“When I went through the half-mile in 2:02, I said to myself that the pace was too slow and that I’d have to go for the record on my own.

“I knew that I had to take the initiative because no one else was going to do it. I felt that if someone was going to break the record, they’d have to beat me to do it.

“I was confident all the way, and when the crowd went berserk on the last lap, that really helped.”

Coghlan added that thoughts of Mary Decker Slaney accompanied him down the stretch.

“I kept thinking about how she has broken all those records running by herself,” he said, “and I felt that if she can do it, so can I.

“I kept telling myself that it was just like running training laps.”

The 2,000 is something of a freak distance. Coghlan had run it only once before--outdoors. His Friday night time was two seconds faster.

“I think that if the record had been 4:54 going in,” he said, “I’d be more emotional about breaking it, but it’s still a good feeling. I’m elated by the way I’ve come back from a pathetic year. I’ve won five indoor races in a row now and set a world record in the process.”

A bad diet stripped Coghlan of weight and strength last year, turning the Chairman of the Boards into just another journeyman runner. Some thought he was finished. Coghlan wasn’t among them.

“I was running poorly,” he said, “but my dedication was still there. It wasn’t like I was out drinking beer. I was still training hard. All I had to do was regain some weight and strength.

“There’s a lot of personal satisfaction in coming back, but the people I’m really happy for are those friends who never lost their belief in me.”