Jamaican Jerry Lee Holness has been coaching the Indian women’s 400m and 400m hurdles teams for the last three months and is already confident of getting good results.

The 65-year-old Jamaican, who has been a mentor to Olympic and World champions Elaine Thompson-Herah and Nesta Carter, plans to get these results through mentorship and nurturing of athletes, both young and experienced.

“We have to look out for the new generation. It’s a four-year cycle. We are looking to incorporate quite a few u-19, u-20 kids. And to work with them to put them on a two, three, four-year plan and to develop from there. Because, you know, athletics is all about the cycle. But we have to blend the old with some younger ones,” he said.

Despite India’s national sports being cricket and hockey, Holness says there is immense pressure placed on track and field athletes to perform and produce results on the big stage.

He says one of his goals is to change this culture and help Indians understand that it is a process.

“I think that is one problem in India, athletes are being pressured every time they go on to the track.”

“People expect them to run very fast or to run his or her personal best, even if it’s the athlete’s first outing of the season. I’m trying to culture them, to change that culture so to say.”

Another of his goals is to educate the athletes about the mental, physical and psychological aspects of the sport.

“It’s also about education, you know, getting them to understand the mental aspect and the psychological aspect of it. And, you know, that is, you know, I’m trying to combine both the physical training and the mental aspect of training. So, hopefully, we will see some results,” he said.

His athletes’ next assignment will be the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China on May 10 and 11.

“We have a good chance to enter the finals,” he said.

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