Most Hurdlers Need

MOST HURDLERS NEED 13 strides between hurdles to achieve optimum speed in the 400-meter hurdles. But Kevin Young discovered he could run faster by taking 12.

The former UCLA athlete followed in the steps of Edwin Moses, a four-time world-record setter in the event. Moses, who compiled a 122-race winning streak in the 400-meter hurdles during the 1970s and ’80s, perfected the art of taking 13 strides between each hurdle. But Young’s 6-foot-4-inch frame and his ability to lead with both feet allowed him to run only 12 steps before leaping hurdles four through eight of the ten-hurdle event.

Prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Young predicted he would break the 47-second mark. He reinforced the prediction by covering the walls of his Olympic Village room with papers marked 46.89.

In the 400-meter Olympic finals, Young’s years of practice paid off. He took control of the race after the fifth hurdle, opening a huge lead. Without a single close challenger, the American held his index finger aloft ten meters away from the finish line. Young broke the tape in a world-record time of 46.78 seconds, shaving almost a quarter second from Moses’s previous mark and becoming the only man ever to run the hurdles in under 47 seconds.

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POINT Twelve steps became the key for Kevin Young’s amazing victory. Instead of competing in the event in the same manner as everybody else, Young came up with a new way. His unique style brought him the Olympic gold and a world record.

The book of Romans encourages us to live in a new way. People in the Old Testament who believed in God had to obey a lot of laws. But once Jesus came, we were allowed to live in a new way and experience total freedom in Christ. Praise God!

GOAL! Think about all the sacrifices and rules that people in the Old Testament had to follow to show their devotion to God. You can read about them in the book of Leviticus. Then you can check out Romans to learn how freeing your life with God is because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank Jesus for allowing you to serve God in a new way.