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Why Mark turned his back on the track | |
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Around the Academy: |
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The Academy finds out why Wales wing Mark Jones quit the running track for a career on the rugby pitch.
I guess I've got sprint star Christian Malcolm to thank for making me realise I didn't have a future on the track! He's the reason I quit athletics for rugby. I used to be a really keen sprinter when I was younger. But competing against him made me realise I wasn't cut out for track and field after all.
I was 15 when I came up against Christian in a 100m final. He blew me away! I remember thinking to myself: "Wow, he's GOOD!" I knew I'd never be able to reach that sort of standard. That's when I decided maybe it would be best to concentrate on rugby!
Just a couple of years later Christian went on to become the World Junior Champion. I really admire him for his achievements in athletics. I don't regret the decision I made. I love playing for Llanelli, and representing Wales is the greatest honour.
All my sprint training didn't end up in vain. My athletics background has served me well playing on the wing. After all pace is the basic ingredient for wingers.
If you're looking to improve your speed, I can't think of a better way than joining an athletics club to get some proper sprint training. As a wing, you also need to have a good understanding of the game. You've got to have bags of confidence too. Don't confuse that with arrogance though. You need to believe in yourself. If you don't believe you can beat your opponent, you never will.
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