Sometimes in sports it's not just the body that may be given out, although I don't think it is in this case. His physical attributes relating to scoring goals such as his shot are still strong.
A lot of times what happens is the process for practice, training, the games and the recovery just get's tiring and you lose the fire. The travel, the prep, the diet, the discipline. Sometimes just life and family take a stronger priority.
Ovi still has a massive carrot stick that is dangling in front of him and I never thought he would break the record, and he may not. I will wait till next season to see if without a doubt he won't do it.
A guy like Iggy was slow but still had the shot and the fire. The decline for athletes approaching 40 is astronomical. NFL QB Tom Brady outlined his process and more in his book called TB12 Method:
He went into greater detail about how a lot of athletes train and how it's counterintuitive in the long run and the decline mid-late 30's is off the charts. The microfiber of the muscles and all that jazz. He was discussing this stuff and his training when he was in his early 30's with a goal of playing, excelling and winning championships in his mid 40's, which he achieved.
Ovi is allowed a bad season before everybody writes him off but it will be hard for him to do it just based on numbers and timing
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