Athletics in Jamaica - Coaching in Jamaica

Coaching in Jamaica

In recent years, many Jamaican athletes have decided to stay in Jamaica to train. Stephen Francis a Jamaican coach created the MVP ("Maximising Velocity and Power") club in 2001 based in University of Technology (UTech), Kingston. He created this club because he felt Jamaican athletes were becoming "Americans" not interested in coming back to Jamaica.

In 2001 Brigitte Foster-Hylton came from America and joined this club. Foster was an unknown in the first year, so no one was interested in sponsoring her. Francis sold his car to keep funding the club. In late 2001 Asafa Powell an athlete with a personal best of 10.70 joined the club. In the years to come Asafa Powell smashed the 100 m world record twice. Bridgette set a new national record in the 100 m hurdles and is now Commonwealth champion.

Sherone Simpson hadn’t won a race and since joining the club she is now one of the world’s top sprinters and an Olympic silver medallist. Francis also coaches 100 m Olympic Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, Olympic 400 m silver medallist Shericka Williams and 400 m hurdles Olympic Gold medalist Melaine Walker. Francis has also influenced the careers of Ainsley Waugh and Germaine Mason. Jamaica's recent successes are thanks to home-based coaches like Stephen Francis.

A few years ago, the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) built the High Performance Training Centre in UTech, to try to get athletes to stay in Jamaica. Since then there are several high profile athletes from all over the Caribbean training there, including triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt, under the tutelage of Jamaican Sprint Guru Glen Mills. Mills has recently set up a new club in Jamaica called the Racers Track Club, which has athletes such as Usain Bolt and Daniel Bailey from Antigua.