He used this approach in Invercargill last weekend when he blitzed the field and broke the boys under-16 3000m record at the annual Otago-Southland secondary schools athletics championships.
Chignall led from the start to convincingly win the race in the record time of 9min 3.28sec.
His coach, Dave Stinson, was a fan of Bayi, the Tanzanian middle distance star who won the exciting 1500m race ahead of New Zealand's John Walker at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. They both went under the world record.
Stinson has encouraged Chignall to adopt a positive approach in his racing and it has brought a string of top results this summer.
Otago athletes broke 22 records in Invercargill, and Southland athletes added another 18.
Libby Jones (St Hilda's Collegiate) came back to her best form by breaking two senior girls records in the throwing events.
She won the discus with a throw of 39.17m and the hammer with 37.34m.
Jones is coached by Raylene Bates, who also coaches Aaron Tarleton (Taieri College). Tarleton broke the boys under-14 hammer record with 36.57m.
Adriana Mawhinney (Dunstan High School), who is coached by 1990 Commonwealth Games high jump champion Tania Murray, broke the girls under-16 triple jump record with 11.30m.
Anna Grimaldi (Bayfield High School) broke four AWD records, in the girls 100m (14.12sec), 200m (29.31sec), 400m 67.34sec) and long jump (4.78m).
David White (King's High School) broke three AWD records, in the boys 100m (14.10sec), 200m (28.4sec) and long jump (4.69m).
Other records broken by Otago athletes were: Yvonne van Baarle (Blue Mountain College), girls under-15 javelin (34.78m); Caitlyn Kenny (St Hilda's), girls under-16 high jump (1.67m); Madeline Witchall (Queen's High School), AWD 100m (16.36sec) and 200m (36.22sec); Charlotte Cahill (Columba College), senior girls 2km steeplechase (7min 27.12sec); Maddy Spence (Columba), open girls 300m hurdles (46.33sec); King's under-14 4x100m relay (48.99sec); St Hilda's under-15 4x100m relay (52.42sec); St Hilda's under-16 4x100m relay (51.13sec).
