Stephen Francis

Barbadian sprinter Mario Burke has taken a significant step in his athletics career by joining Jamaica’s renowned MVP Track and Field Club.

After her Oregon 400-metre bronze at the 2022 Worlds, Williams finished third again Wednesday in the one-lap event in 49.60 seconds behind the Dominican Republic’s gold medallist Marileidy Paulino (48.76) and Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek (49.57).

“Speaking on behalf of the people of Barbados, (I) would like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Jamaica's all-time great coach, Stephen Francis, has made to Sada's success,” Comissiong said.

Williams appeared briefly down the homestretch to be drifting out of medal contention but fought gallantly to become the first Barbadian ever to repeat as a World Championship medallist.

“Stephen Francis is, perhaps, the greatest sprint coach in the entire world, and he has been instrumental in developing Sada into the world class athlete that she is today,” said St Vincent and the Grenadines-born Comissiong.

Williams, 25, trains in Kingston with Francis’s MVP Track Club that produced multiple Olympic and World Champions including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, Melaine Walker, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, and Tajay Gayle plus former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell.

Last year in Birmingham, England, Williams created history when she became the first Barbadian woman to win a Commonwealth Games 400m gold medal, clocking a championship record 49.90 seconds.

A devout Pan Africanist, Comissiong, also called for Barbados to arrange a special function to honour Francis’s work with Williams.

“I hope and trust that very soon from now we Barbadians will have the opportunity to say a very personal heart-felt "thank you" to Mr Francis as our special honoured guest at an appropriately designed official function right here in Barbados,” he said, adding: “Long live Caribbean solidarity and brotherhood!”.

On Saturday, after she ran a world-leading time of 10.86 at the Velocity Fest meet at the National Stadium, Fraser-Pryce deflected when asked who was her coach.

“Who is my coach?” she asked, before breaking out into laughter. “You’re putting me on the spot? That’s for another time but as I said, I am grateful for how the season has gone so far and I am looking forward to what the season will bring, God’s willing, in 2021.”

The 33-year-old two-time Olympic 100m champion has been training under the guidance of Renaldo Walcott for several months now but there has been no official word that she has parted ways with Stephen Francis and the MVP Track Club. While with MVP, she built a legacy as one of the greatest female sprinters in history having won Olympic 100m titles in 2008 and 2012 and 100m World titles in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2019. She also won a 200m title in Moscow in 2013.

However, she briefly left the club after the 2016 Rio Olympics and trained with Walcott in Santa Cruz in St. Elizabeth before returning to MVP in 2017.

In May, Sportsmax.TV reported that the athlete was once again training with Walcott, this time at the National Stadium in Kingston while the MVP athletes trained at the nearby Stadium East facility.

Asked recently whether the sprint queen was still with the club, Francis said: “I can’t answer that question. I know that she is not at training here but I can’t answer that question.”

The 25-year-old, who has completely recovered from an injury that negatively impacted his performance at Olympics, showed off some good ability in the 100m sprints last year.

Despite specializing in the jumps, Gayle showed plenty of speed over the distance after clocking 10.18 in May of last year.  The athlete’s best time over double the distance is 21.18.

“I think Tajay will be in the position to do a lot more sprinting this year and I suspect that he will be in the position to challenge for the title of fastest Jamaican,” Francis said in an interview with SportsMax.Tv.

“As well as be able to defend his title as the best long jumper in the world,” he added.

Gayle had been hoping to add the Olympic title to the World title this summer and advanced to the final but injured his left knee in the process.  He was a result unable to secure a position in the final eight.

The awards will be in four categories: Silver (20-25 years), Gold (26-30 years), Platinum (30-40 years) and Lifetime Award (Over 40 years).

Among the coaches to be honoured are Fitzroy Ball, Paul Francis, Richard Thomas and H. Michael Vassell who are set to receive Platinum Awards, Michael Dyke, Dwayne Jarrett, Kevin Pryce and Hermon Reid who will be bestowed with Gold Awards.

The recipients of the Silver Awards are Lawson Brown, Keilando Goburn, Christopher Mitchell, David Riley, Garth Smythe and Lecia Walters.

Iconic track and field coach Stephen Francis will also be presented with the Hector-Smith Master Coach Award named after the late Edward Hector and Eldemire Smith who both served as executive members of the Coaches Association. Francis, Michael Clarke, Patrick Johnson and Errol Messias will also receive Lifetime Awards.

The Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association is internationally recognized body for Jamaica’s track and field coaches at the Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Club and Elite levels. The association is an affiliate of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) and is endorsed by World Athletics.

It is also the representative body for all Track and Field coaches in Jamaica.

October 6 is recognized as National Coaches Day across many federations in North America and the Caribbean region and is a day when the work of coaches across all sports are recognized. It is also a day when issues and challenges facing the profession are brought into sharp focus.

According to reports earlier this week, the double Olympic champion had submitted a letter to the club that stated her intentions to sever ties ahead of the new season.  Later in the week, however, the athlete denied the reports suggesting that they may have arisen out of her not starting training as yet.

The athlete is, however, not back due in training as yet and Francis insists that while he is not jumping to conclusions the future remains uncertain.

“From my perspective, we start back training sometime in October, the 18^th or 19^th…and my philosophy, as usual, is to see who turns up,” Francis told Jamaica television station TVJ.

“What my experience tells me is that sometimes athletes, in general, especially those that come from a lower expectation level.  In other words, not much was expected from them, they are usually unable to separate themselves from people who hop on to their bandwagon,” he added.

The 29-year-old is coming off her best season to date.  Thompson-Herah successfully defended both the 100m and 200m title at the Olympics and joined with former MVP athlete Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Briana Williams to win the 4x100m relays.  The sprinter later went on to record a blistering time just outside Florence Griffith-Joyner’s longstanding 100m record.

The MVP track club is no stranger to athletes leaving the club at the peak of their career with Fraser-Pryce and Melanie Walker also having secured moves away after years of success.

Watson, a relative unknown in the sprinting world, delivered an exceptional performance, crossing the finish line with a new personal best time of 9.91 seconds.

The shocking upset saw Watson triumph over Ryiem Forde, who secured second place with a personal best time of 9.96 seconds, and the renowned Oblique Seville, a fourth-place finisher at last year's World Athletics Championships, who finished in third place with a time of 10.00 seconds.

The unexpected triumph of Watson sent shockwaves through the athletics community, capturing the attention of fans and experts alike. However, the discovery of this "diamond in the rough" was no accident. Coach Stephen Francis, renowned for his ability to identify and nurture talent, was instrumental in Watson's development and guided him to this remarkable victory.

While speaking exclusively to Sportsmax.TV about Watson's journey, Francis revealed the challenges they faced in finding promising sprinters who were willing to join MVP Track Club.

"None of the so-called brand name sprinters in high school wanted to come to us," Francis explained candidly.

“They said the training is too hard, if your girl up there we can’t do what we want, we can’t buy big cars, we can’t go out at night. They shy away from us.”

Faced with those challenges, Francis said he instructed his team to find him a sprinter who could run 10.5 or 10.4.

“We’ll work with them because a lot of people who have done well with us that’s what times they run. We don’t get people who run 10.1, 10.2 or 10.3.”

It was during a race at Jamaica College (JC) last year that Francis first spotted Watson, who demonstrated promising speed and determination.

Watson, who had completed his high school education at York Castle, displayed enthusiasm when approached by Francis and eagerly joined the MVP Track Club. Despite initially appearing smaller in stature than his counterparts, Watson's dedication and positive attitude set him apart.

“He was very interested and he came but even when I saw him in September for the first time on the training field I thought he was very small. We have had very good success with small sprinters but he looked small.”

However, Francis emphasized the importance of attitude and commitment over raw talent. "It is all about what you do, how you learn, and your willingness to sacrifice," he explained.

Watson exemplified these qualities, showcasing steady progress throughout the year. Observing his discipline and dedication, Francis became increasingly confident in Watson's abilities, foreseeing the potential for a sub-10-second performance.

Watson's victory at the national championships affirmed Francis' belief in his athlete's capabilities. As they approach the World Championships in Budapest, scheduled for August, Francis envisions Watson as a genuine medal contender.

The coach noted that the track conditions during the national championships were not particularly fast, indicating that Watson's time could improve further in more favorable circumstances.

Assessing the global sprinting landscape, Francis acknowledged that the field is wide open, with a few key contenders such as British champion, Zharnel Hughes and potentially Fred Kerley, the reigning world champion. However, he expressed confidence in Watson's prospects, given his impressive performance in a championship setting and his ability to maintain his form over multiple rounds.

“I don’t know what Fred Kerley is looking like and Zharnel is looking looks very, very good but apart (from those two), I think he has as good a shot as everybody else.”

Thompson-Herah's career has faced a downward spiral since her departure in October 2021, and despite public opinion suggesting a reunion could revive her floundering fortunes, Francis emphatically stated that she would not be welcomed back. To be clear, despite her current struggles, Thompson-Herah has never publicly expressed any interest in returning to MVP.

Thompson-Herah's extraordinary accomplishments at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she secured the sprint double with record-breaking performances, solidified her status as one of the greatest sprinters in history. However, her decision to leave MVP Track Club shortly after her Olympic triumphs left many questioning her motives and the impact it would have on her career.

Explaining her departure back then, Thompson-Herah highlighted her desire for personal growth and the need to take charge of her own destiny. She expressed gratitude for the support she received in her earlier years but emphasized the importance of making choices that aligned with her best interests. "What I want for myself, to better myself, was not provided. So, I have to find ways to get it done," she said, reflecting on her decision to move on.

Coach Stephen Francis, a renowned figure in the track and field world, responded to inquiries from Sportsmax.TV about Thompson-Herah's potential return to MVP Track Club. His answer left no room for ambiguity. "No. The way she left and the comments that she made and the fact that she has yet to accredit any member of the MVP staff who paid her a lot of attention and went through a lot of sacrifice to get her healthy enough to run and to do what she did in 2021," Francis stated, clearly outlining his reasons for refusing her return.

Francis continued, expressing his disappointment that Thompson-Herah failed to acknowledge the efforts of the MVP staff, instead attributing her success solely to her husband and other factors. "She didn't say anything about that from MVP. No, that never sits well with us. Even if she had said, ‘Thanks, to MVP. You know, I'm really grateful, we would have been fine. But right now I would take back any of my former athletes but not her, No," he emphasized.

The public had hoped that a reunion between Thompson-Herah and MVP Track Club would reignite the spark that had propelled her to Olympic glory. However, Francis's unwavering stance has shattered those hopes. With Thompson-Herah's career floundering in recent years, the absence of her former coach's guidance and support poses significant challenges for her future endeavors, especially in light of her recent signing with Puma.

Thompson-Herah now faces an uphill battle as she seeks to reclaim her position at the top of the sprinting world. Without the familiar structure of MVP Track Club and the guidance of Coach Francis, she will need to dig deep to find the motivation and resources necessary to revive her career.

Addressing the confusion surrounding Thompson's absence, Stephen Francis, the celebrated coach of MVP Track Club, shed light on a carefully crafted plan that accounted for the sprinter's limited participation at the national championships. Francis, renowned for nurturing the careers of track sensations such as Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater, unveiled a strategy designed to gradually shape Thompson into a formidable force on the world stage.

"He is fine. He trained this morning (Saturday.) It was always the plan for him to focus this year on running one-round races," Francis revealed in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV. "In his previous two years with us, he struggled with injuries, running only four 100m races in that time and never participating in the national championships. Therefore, we decided that he should run one round here, deliver an impressive time, and then focus on competing in 'one' races in Europe. If he is required for relays, he will be available."

What made Thompson's performance even more intriguing was that Francis believed he could have achieved an even faster time during the preliminary round if not for the mismanagement of the event by the organizers.

According to Francis, athletes in the outer lanes of the 100m straight were unable to hear the starting gun due to a malfunctioning speaker, which disadvantaged runners from lanes six to eight throughout the heats. Thompson ran in lane eight. Despite presenting evidence of the issue, the organizers failed to rectify the situation.

While Thompson's time of 9.91 seconds was impressive, Francis emphasized that it fell short of their expectations, attributing it to the organizers' incompetence. However, he expressed confidence in Thompson's ability to run significantly faster in optimal conditions.

"He would have run significantly faster, but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer," Francis explained. "Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary racing experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program."

Thompson's sensational performance has thrust him into the spotlight, leaving fans eagerly anticipating his future endeavors. As part of Francis' meticulously devised plan, Thompson will continue to compete in carefully selected races across Europe this summer, honing his skills and building his experience. The coach's expertise and guidance will undoubtedly shape Thompson into a potent contender in the sprinting world.

Francis’ elder brother, MVP coach Stephen Francis, believes UTech’s decision not to renew the coaches’ contracts, among other things, creates the impression that Byfield is trying to destroy the university’s track programme.

Sportsmax.TV reported exclusively on Monday that UTech has not renewed the contracts of all its sports coaches, a move that Dr Kamilah Hylton, Dean of the Faculty of Sports and Science, described as a temporary measure.

“We have not made any final decision. We are waiting to hear from Intercol (Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association) and a directive from the Acting President (Professor Colin Gyles) in terms of how many students will be allowed on campus,” said Dr Hylton speaking with Sportsmax.TV on Monday night.

“We have to make decisions on how they (athletes) would train in a safe manner,” she said while explaining that training sessions would have to abide by established COVID-19 protocols, meaning athletes would have to train in smaller groups, adhere to the required physical distancing requirements and other related safety measures.

Among the coaches, whose contracts were not renewed were those of Francis and his elder brother Stephen. However, Stephen has continued to prepare some athletes from the MVP Track Club, which has an MOU with the university to use the school’s Papine campus as a training base.

It then begs the question: if MVP athletes are able to train why then would the university not allow the collegiate track athletes to do the same, especially since MVP, through negotiations had provided UTECH with funding for the programme from PUMA. Sources indicate that the funding amounts to about US$30,000.

Stephen was at pains to find an explanation.

“Discussions are being held at a higher level to sort out this situation so I don’t want to say anything which would compromise the whole thing but it does seem to be, on the face it, a very puzzling decision,” said Francis while speaking with Sportsmax.TV on Thursday morning at Stadium East in Kingston.

Asked to comment on whether there were underlying issues between the director of sports and MVP that could have influenced the decision to impact the sport that has brought tremendous success to the university, Francis said:

“As far as I know there is no problem between MVP and Byfield. The problem is between Byfield and the UTech track programme; in that, he is giving off signs that he doesn’t think that the programme should exist.

“Maybe he wants to be the coach, I don’t know what the reason is. He has not shown a tendency to be cooperative and even though it might sound improbable, a lot of people close to programme believe he is trying to destroy the programme.”

Byfield, a track coach who has worked with Kingston College, St. George's College and Hydel High, among other high schools, joined the staff at UTech around 2008 as a sports lecturer. He was appointed Director of Sports in October 2018 following the departure of Anthony Davis.

“I think there has been a lot of upheavals since Byfield became the Director of Sport. He doesn’t seem to have the role of a normal Director of Sport, which is to maximise the performance of the teams that the school puts out,” said Francis, who was reluctant to provide details of the afore-mentioned upheavals.

“Certainly in athletics, there are a lot of stumbling blocks that he puts in the way and I don’t think anybody can argue that he is trying to maximize the performance of the UTech student-athletes, certainly not in track, probably not in football, and based on the performance in most of the sports.

“So I don’t know what he thinks his job is and I don’t know what his job has been defined as but it is not what you would expect from a person in charge of collegiate sports programmes. It is what it is so we have to find a way to work around him and work around whatever it is that he is doing.”

In response, Byfield said Francis’ comments came as a surprise.

“I don’t know what he is talking about. This is news to me,” Byfield told Sportsmax.TV on Thursday afternoon. “Both of them (Paul and Stephen) work with the university. No concerns were raised to me. It’s the first I am hearing of this.”

He added that if the Francis brothers have any concerns they should take the matter to Human Resources and have those concerns addressed.

Speaking on KLAS Radio on Wednesday, the UTech sports director indicated that he did not unilaterally make the decision not to renew the contracts of the Francis brothers or the other coaches.

‘This was a collective decision from the university. Based on what is going on at the university at this point in time the university has decided to temporarily suspend the contracts, or not renew the contracts until the university can sort out how we are going to deal with everything for the academic year,” he said.

“The coaches will just have to be patient. We want to have our coaches here with us. Our coaches have been doing a good job for the university and we would love to continue to have them.

“These times are unprecedented so the university has to take certain precautions on how we manage and maintain certain things.”

Meanwhile, as it relates to the current situation, Francis said MVP will have to step in to help those track athletes who might be left out in the cold because the programme has been suspended.

“As it is now, if it happens that no change occurs it will not really stop anything because I guess MVP would have to take up UTech’s slack in trying to develop these athletes because UTech normally provides for them a place in school and also some accommodation for some of them,” Francis said.

“MVP would have to take up the slack in terms of making sure that the athletes who are supposed to come on board in September that they are not denied an opportunity because some of them would have decided to come to UTech even though they had opportunities abroad so it’s not fair for us not to honour their commitment.”

The UTech track programme has produced the like of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Elaine Thompson, Tahjay Gayle, Jenieve Russell, Shericka Jackson and Asafa Powell, among others.

The 32-year-old runner finished just outside of the medal places in Tokyo, after being caught and passed close to the finish line by USA legend Alisson Felix who captured the final podium spot.  The race was won in dominant fashion by the Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo with second place going to the Dominica Republic’s Marileidy Paulino.

McPherson’s finishing time of 49.61 was much slower than her season-best of 49.34, which had been recorded in the event's semi-final.  The athlete collapsed violently sobbing after the event.  Francis admits that the athlete’s time in the final was a bit of a surprise but believes she is poised to recover and post exceptional performances in the upcoming season.

“It was disappointing because I thought she would have run 48 high in the 400m (Olympic final),” Francis told Sportsmax.Tv in a recent interview.

“She is, however, young enough and determined enough that she will be able to try again,” he added.

McPherson, the event’s reigning national champion, returned to training with the majority of the club’s athletes earlier this week.

 The blue-riband sprint promises to be an electrifying event, with Jamaicans aiming to reclaim the Olympic title last held by Usain Bolt, who won his third consecutive 100m gold at the 2016 Rio Games. Italy’s Marcel Jacobs claimed the title at Tokyo 2020, but American Noah Lyles, the 2023 World Champion, is determined to become the first American since Justin Gatlin in 2004 to win the Olympic 100m title.

 Lyles, who ran a lifetime best of 9.81 seconds at the London Diamond League meet, exudes confidence heading into Paris. “I beat everyone that I touch. I don’t see why the Jamaicans are any different. This is what I pray for, this is what I live for and I back myself up, don’t I?” Lyles stated.

 However, Francis believes that Lyles’s psychological tactics will have little impact on Thompson. “I don't think Noah Lyles can play mind games this time," Francis remarked in response to a question from Sportsmax’s Donald Oliver. “I think you will find he plays mind games with those he is faster than. I don't think he will have the opportunity this time around, but we will see if his mind games work on people who have demonstrated they are a lot faster than he is.”

 Lyles faces a formidable challenge from the Jamaican duo of Thompson and Oblique Seville. With Thompson’s blistering 9.77 and Seville’s own impressive performances, the stage is set for a thrilling contest.

Thompson, who has been holding good form since his first sub-10 second clocking at Jamaica’s National Championships in July, produced a top performance, which not only shattered his previous personal best of 9.91s, but also makes him the fastest Jamaican this year. He overtook Oblique Seville at 9.86s.

Additionally, the 22-year-old Thompson’s time also makes him the sixth-fastest Jamaican of all time. Only Usain Bolt (9.58s), Yohan Blake (9.69s), Asafa Powell (9.72s), Nesta Carter (9.78s) and Steve Mullings (9.80s), have gone faster.

While Thompson’s achievement, which makes him the 22nd fastest man of all time and also earned him a spot in the Diamond League final, may come as a surprise to many, his coach Stephen Francis did indicate that there was more to come after his one-round run at the national championships.

“He would have run significantly faster but the most important thing is that he feels healthy and can look forward to the rest of the summer. Our plan is to ensure that next year, in the Olympic year, he will have the necessary race experience and a different attitude to tackle the full program,” Francis said then in an interview with Sportsmax.tv.

Thompson just failed to get back to Coleman, who equalled Noah Lyles World leading time, as they competed in a slight tailwind of 0.4 metres per second. American Fred Kerley (9.96s) was third.

Meanwhile, the other Jamaicans, Yohan Blake (10.04s), Rohan Watson (10.18s), were sixth and ninth respectively, while Ackeem Blake, who seemingly picked up an injury finished at the back of the pack in well over 25 seconds.

According to a Radio Jamaica report, Thompson-Herah, who has been a shadow of her usual competitive self in recent times, engaged the temporary arrangement with Osbourne, after the National Senior Championships in July, where she missed an individual lane for the upcoming World Athletic Championships.

However, she finished well enough to make the team to Budapest, Hungary, as part of the relay pool.

While the move may come as a surprise to many, Osbourne, who previously coached Papine High, explained that it is basically a continuation of what transpired during Thompson-Herah’s time at MVP.

“I have been working with her since we have been at MVP, so it’s similar stuff; so, I’m just working with her for now. Not sure if it is going to be permanent, but just working with her for now,” said Osbourne during the Radio Jamaica interview.

The coach pointed out that where the relationship goes after the World Championships is left solely up to Thompson-Herah, 31, who previously took orders from world renowned coach Stephen Francis before switching coaching duties to her husband Derron Herah in 2021.

“It’s according to her, probably she’s trying to see how things work out to the end of the season and then she’ll make a decision, but it’s up to her,” Osbourne shared.

The pandemic has forced the school to suspend its sports programmes until it decides how many students they will allow on campus for the academic year set to begin on August 26, 2020. 

Paul and Stephen Francis run the university’s track and field programme, and who under a Memorandum of Understanding with the university, also operate the MVP Track Club at the school’s Papine campus.

The university informed the coaches by letter on Monday, Sportsmax.TV understands.

However, the school said the move is temporary.

“We have not made any final decision. We are waiting to hear from Intercol (Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association) and a directive from the Acting President (Professor Colin Gyles) in terms of how many students will be allowed on campus,” said Kamilah Hylton, the Dean of the Faculty of Sports and Science while speaking with Sportsmax.TV on Monday night.

“We have to make decisions on how they (athletes) would train in a safe manner,” she said while explaining that the school will have to determine how athletes would function under existing COVID-19 protocols, meaning how many athletes would be able to train together, adhere to the required physical distancing requirements and other related safety measures.

Hylton explained that depending on the state of the pandemic some contracts could be renewed as early as the second school semester.

“Of paramount importance is the safety of the athletes. We have to ensure that we have the necessary resources to facilitate the safety of our student-athletes,” Ms Hylton said.

 Ms Hylton also confirmed that, so far, no new sports scholarships have been offered to student-athletes.

As it relates to students who are already on scholarship, Ms Hylton said the school would maintain its obligations to them and they would attend classes as usual.

“We are bound by contract, so those students would continue to be supported once they continue to meet academic criteria,” she said.

Among other measures being taken by the school is the limiting of the number of students allowed to share dorm rooms on the campus. For now, only one student will be allowed to a room. 

The college prides itself as being home to a number of Jamaica's world-class athletes.

Former 100m world-record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherone Simpson were all members of the UTECH track programme.

Gayle showed he was not joking when he said he might try the sprints when he turned up at the Milo Western Relays last week but could only manage a fifth-place finish in a race won by former World Record holder over 100 metres, Asafa Powell.

The placing and the time, 6.87 seconds, is not a deterrent to Gayle, as he went into the race without any significant expectations.

 “The time doesn’t really matter, I would have been satisfied with anything, even 7.0. I’m just here to get competition and experience in sprinting,” said Gayle in an interview with Jamaican Newspaper, The Gleaner.

According to Gayle, the idea that he could be making the Olympic team as both sprinter and long jumper is something that is the brainchild of his coach Paul Francis.

Francis is playing the situation by ear, saying sprinting is a part of jumping, so the process of racing would always have been included in his traditional training.

But he isn’t ruling out the possibility though.

“I can’t predict the future, we’re just trying our best to prepare him. And what will happen will happen at the Trials,” said Francis, coach at MVP Track Club and brother of the famous Stephen Francis.

Gayle though is already finding it difficult to straddle the two events, saying he hasn’t been able to work on certain technical issues like his start because he has had to focus on his jumping.

“Within technical sessions, I’m doing jumps while others are sprinting, so I don’t get the chance to work on it a lot,” he said.

Despite that, the World Champion believes his coach knows what he is capable of, even better than he does.

"If my coach says I can do it, I guess I can," he said.