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Francique seeks the rhythm for a third successive gold in Valencia
Tuesday 29 January 2008
Grenada’s Alleyne Francique is looking to make history at the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain, 7 – 9 March and so secure a hat-trick of 400m titles and he admitted one of his prime motivations is to make his country proud.
The experienced 400m athlete, who struck gold in the 2004 edition in Budapest and successfully defended the World Indoor title in Moscow two years later, has proved tactically astute and adept at negotiating the tight bends on the boards.
Alleyne Francique of Grenada
(Getty Images)
Revered in his homeland of just 110,000 people - where he was awarded the position of Ambassador for Sport in 2005 - he believes securing a third successive World Indoor 400m title will be a just reward for the faithful and loyal support of his army of followers on the Caribbean island of Grenada.
“It’s a real motivation, not only for me, but also for Grenada and for a person from Grenada to be part of history,” he explained of chasing a hat-trick of World Indoor gold medals. “I know it will be difficult but I’ll give it my best shot.”
The 31-year-old US-based athlete has been one of the most consistent one-lap runners of the past four or five seasons and enjoyed his best year in 2004. That year he not only landed the first of his World Indoor titles and set a lifetime best and national record of 44.47 he also finished fourth at the Olympic Games in 44.66 - just 0.24 outside of the medals.
Alleyne Francique (GRN) wins the 2004 World Indoor 400m
(Getty Images)
He also enjoyed a momentous spring in 2006, landing not only the World Indoor gold medal in Moscow but also a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne just a few weeks later.
Mistake was no indoor season in 2007
However, Francique suffered a below-par 2007 – only once ducking below 45 seconds and exiting the semi-finals of the World Championships in Osaka - and the man from the Spice Island has a simple explanation for his lacklustre showing.
“Last year was the first in my career when I didn’t compete indoors,” he explained. “I really find my rhythm indoors and it really didn’t come (outdoors).”
Although, Francique stands at more than 6ft tall – a height not always conducive with easily negotiating the tight bends often associated with indoor running – he has always enjoyed the challenge. A fluid runner around the curves he also possesses the natural aggression necessary to establish a prominent position after the first 200m of the tactical two-lap battle on the boards.
But the modest man based at College Station in Texas was guarded about his current form.
“Yes, everything has gone well but we’ll just have to see,” he said of the forthcoming indoor season.
Sport was his salvation
Francique had a tough upbringing in rural Grenada. With an absent father and a mother who emigrated to live in Canada he often relied on the support network of friends to see him through day-to-day life and he admitted he often went to school hungry.
But sport would provide an outlet. A talented cricketer and footballer as well as 400m and 800m runner, hope came knocking when he heard an American coach was coming to the island looking for talented junior athletes. Hearing this Francique buckled down to serious training and impressed at the trial, winning the 400m on grass in a personal best of 47.3 and taking the 800m in 1:53.
Father figure
He was snapped up by Essex Country Community College in New Jersey before later winning a scholarship to Louisiana State University in 2000, where he met up with his current coach Pat Henry who has since proved a major influence on Francique’s life.
“He’s like a father figure to me and we talk a lot beyond track and field,” Francique said of Henry, the US head coach at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. “We discuss lots of things in general.”
Under Henry’s wise tutelage Francique has developed into not only a world-class talent but also a well-rounded man, although he insists success did not come overnight.
“I remember always running the first round of championships and then getting knocked out,” said Francique. “I would stand and listen to the national anthems of all the winning athletes. My goal then was to hear my national anthem play once. It was just beautiful when I heard it (at the 2004 World Indoor Championships).”
Now aged 31 he also has a clear idea of what the future holds. He has long-term plans to move into coaching – he already has his Level One coaching qualification- and he does not plan to compete beyond the 2009 season.
Burning Beijing ambition
Yet the Caribbean athlete still harbours one burning desire and is looking forward to achieving it in Beijing.
“My goal is to win an Olympic medal, because I was so close in Athens,” the 2004 Olympic fourth placer explained. “I want to win it for the whole of Grenada and it is the one medal I’ve been missing. I don’t care whether it is a bronze. I’ll give it 110 per cent and if I succeed I succeed, and if I don’t, I don’t but I will give it 110 per cent.”
Steve Landells for the IAAF