Sometimes championship tactics go exactly to plan, the pre-race vision perfectly realised and the victory salute, secretly rehearsed, is unveiled to the world.
Both Andre Bucher and Paula Radcliffe had definite race plans coming to Edmonton. No prizes for guessing which one worked.
Bucher had looked invincible over 800 metres this summer - as long as he got himself in front well before the finish. So when the Swiss athlete took off down the back straight for the final time, victory was certain. There was almost a second between himself and Kenya's Wilfred Bungei at the line, and even in 800 metre running that's a canyon.
"Well Bungei helped me run the prefect race," said only the second Swiss gold medallist ever. "We both wanted a fast race, and he probably went out fast for his chances to get a medal. I was very pleased because I did not want a technical race."
As the Kenyan fired through the opening lap in just over 50 seconds, the look of satisfaction was all over Bucher's face. The winning time of 1:43.70 was exactly the range he was looking for, to help burn off Germany's Olympic champion Nils Schumann, who took fifth in 1:45.00.
When Radcliffe took over the lead in the 10,000 metres for the first time with three and a half laps remaining, her face had the look of total concern. Lining up behind her were the three Ethiopians, two of whom had out-kicked her in Sydney last year to leave her in fourth place.
Radcliffe kept her foot flat on the accelerator for two more laps. Then they hit the bell and the three Ethiopians swept past in succession, so Radcliffe went from first to fourth in a matter of strides.
A lap later, Derartu Tulu had won her race with Berhane Adere for the gold and Gete Wami won hers with Radcliffe for the bronze.
Time for the hard questions again: "Well I definitely did try something different. I knew I was running faster this year, and I felt I could get away from them on the last laps.
"Maybe I should have gone a little sooner, but the plan was not to go before half-way, but anytime after that."
Shouting instructions at the side of the track was her husband Gary Lough, who clearly wanted her to go sooner. Radcliffe didn't take that too well when she crossed the line but the two soon made up their differences.
"I did go through a bit of bad patch for about five laps, not feeling bad but just not feeling like kicking. Looking back, though, I could have gone earlier, and the pace definitely dropped when I did. But at no point did I panic. I thought as well I could come back and get the bronze but the finish line came a little too soon.
"Maybe I was a little over-confident with my speed, because I just wasn't fast enough in the end."
Gabriela Szabo, meanwhile, stayed on the gold trail in the 1,500 metres - destroying fellow Romanian Violeta Szekely on the last lap, though not quite destroying their rivalry. Although the two shared the victory lap, they didn't share the same feelings. "I congratulate Gabriela on her win," said Szekely, "but that is not to say I forgive her for all that happened between us."
