Should Asafa Change Coach

Members Area In the News
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Would new coach help Powell deliver?
published: Friday | May 2, 2008

WITH THE 2008 Olympic Games less than 100 days away, should the world’s fastest man, Asafa Powell, after failing to realise his full potential at the 2004 Games and last year’s IAAF World Athletics Championships, have considered a coaching change?

The answer to this question from the many fans of the local track star will be, I suspect, a resounding no. However, will it still be the same in the next few months if, at the world’s premier sporting event, Powell failed to ‘trip’ Tyson Gay, which, according to current 200- and 400-metre world record-holder Michael Johnson, is the only way that the Jamaican will capture an Olympic gold.

While it may be sacrilegious for some to suggest that Powell break ties with local track club MVP and head coach Stephen Francis, it certainly is an issue that could arise in the near future.
Nothing to scoff at

Now, don’t get me wrong, Powell’s achievements under Francis over the past couple of years have been nothing to scoff at. The sprinter first astonished the world with a 100m record of 9.77, which he equalled on two occasions before smashing that to pieces towards the end of last year with 9.74.

The Jamaican has run 33 sub-10 second 100m races during his career and broke Maurice Greene’s record for the most sub-10 clockings in a season in 2006.

The fact of the matter is, however, that Powell has simply failed to deliver on the big occasion and a part of that has to be chalked up to preparation. Maybe, in relation to bagging the big titles, which separate the very good athletes from the great ones, Francis might have taken Powell as far as he can go.

Powell

Decision to be weighed

While it may be a difficult decision to think about parting ways with a man who not only stuck with Powell and believed in his ability, it is one which might have to be weighed soon.

When teams don’t perform the blame is immediately assigned to the coach. In individual sports like track and field, and tennis, things are a little different as individuals generally take the blame for their own shortcomings.

However, it is not at all rare for athletes to change camps. United States sprint star Greene parted ways with long-time coach Al Hobson, before moving to John Smith while, in recent times, Jeremy Wariner, Wallace Spearmon and Kerron Clement have also changed coaches.

The fact of the matter is that Powell has to win the ‘big one’ to answer all the questions and silence his critics, especially Johnson.

Feedback: kwesi.mugisa@gleanerjm.com

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I think that would be a hasty decision. Greene left Hobson early in his career, before he started running quick under John Smith. I believe Spearmon’s reasoning for changing coaches was a little different, as the rest of his group relocated, and he didn’t want the distractions of a new environment.

It may be fair to say that Powell’s lack of form at major championships are timing issues, especially in 2007 when he went on to break the WR 2 weeks later. However, in 2004 I’m not so sure this was the case as he was running quicker before and after the OG. I think it would be a hasty decision to leave his group based solely upon his lack of performance in Osaka.

I also would think there would be other avenues to explore before this. For example, when he hurt his knee, was he not meant to be at training at the time. This whole bench press thing seems like it was not prescribed by Francis. My point is, before he looks elsewhere, maybe he would want to try adhering more strictly to Francis’ regime??

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Good post. Should he change coaches? NO!!! I guess multiple WR performances aren’t good enough. Remember the “dat’s what happens when you listen to da coach” after his 9.74? Maybe he should try doing that some more.

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Well, I think this journo may have picked up on something in the MVP camp, maybe there is some tension there and a change has already been mooted and he’s trying to appear precient tipping change before it goes public …??? Time will tell.

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It was posted elsewhere on this site that there are issues between the coach and manager. Having been there, I can assure you this sort of thing is a constant issue as money gets bigger and bigger. People come around poisoning the environment like flies on shit.
Should he change coaches? Well he’s already tried something new that his coach didn’t know about- how’s that working out for him??

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From what I believe Franno operates from a base of bullying - he bullies both his athletes and the support staff around him. Fortunately, the manager decided money wasn’t the most important thing and wasn’t willing to take his crap anymore. Hence the current situation…

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Fortunately?? Asafa is now in DEEP SHIT.
So who’s the rocket scientist responsible for giving Asafa the negatives Bench Press workout that led to the current dire situation??
Is the advice coming from someone on-site or are the workouts being sent from a source arranged for by the manager or Nike? Do you have names?

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Wonder who put the scribe up to this hatchet job?
Mo Greene went to John Smith before any of his top performances. The other three have yet to show the wisdom of their moves.
Answer criticism from Michael Johnson??
Why the hell should Asafa, or anyone else for that matter, answer criticism from that self-promoting, obnoxious, and irrelevant prick?

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I wouldn’t be surprised at the theory the journalist has heard something and is trying to pre empt the news release. The whole situation regarding how this injury came about, and the lack of communication regarding the rehabbing of it sends the message all is not well in the camp!

If he left, where would he go?

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I’m wondering if some move was already made and the injury has left no-one now wishing to take credit for the unbelievably stupid mistake.
Maybe they’re waiting, hoping Franno will ‘take the wrap’ for their blunder.

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Why should Asafa leave the environment where he produced the most consistent results of the last years, when he needs it the most?

If Asafa changes, the new coach will have to be familiar with the training plans done for the last couple of years in order to balance all the training elements during the rehab.

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No plain and simple

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Balance training?? They couldn’t even balance the bar in the weight room!

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:smiley: CF, you crack me up…

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This eccentric method is very popular over here, coming from Soviet studies i was told… They used 120% of 1RM generally. Awsome to increase lifts maxes, i see some chicks lifting high numbers now in the gym but no results on the track so far. Benefits come weeks, or even months after the stimulus, as it seems to me that the higher the sprinter’s level, the later is the effect of this weight program. In the mean time, poor performances and high injury risks. They feel empty, sore and decoordinated. The theory is that eccentric loads break muscles and muscles grows stronger. I wonder how this applies to Asafa now.

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Why would they use this technique on the bench press of all things? The video showed him struggling with 245! I don’t see how any of this warrants a suspect technique for this situation, 120% of a 1 RM is no small thing. Would you assume that he was working the same method on squats now as well?

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People who use the 120% method do it on bench press and squats or leg press. I don’t know what Asafa did. However in an interview in 2005 he told me that he used squats only with light numbers, so insignificant he didn’t gave me them. During his recent camp in Australia, Franno told about the same.

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Originally posted by Charlie Francis
Fortunately?? Asafa is now in DEEP SHIT.
So who’s the rocket scientist responsible for giving Asafa the negatives Bench Press workout that led to the current dire situation??
Is the advice coming from someone on-site or are the workouts being sent from a source arranged for by the manager or Nike? Do you have names?

I might be wrong but I don’t think there is an injury.

My point was the manager seems to have reached a point where he realised for him money wasn’t the be all and end all (this might seem a strange concept for some people who have been involved in the high end of the sport).

Re Powell changing coaches being a big deal? I think not. As long as he has his brother Donovan helping him out I would say he’ll maintain a high level. Franno isn’t the coaching genius he’d like to have people think. John Smith and Trevor Graham ditto. I think some people overestimate the importance of training when there are other factors involved.

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Where do I start in a response to such a lack of grip on reality??
1: Asafa has a HUGE tear across his pec.
2: If money isn’t the ‘be all and end all’ for the manager, you better get a new one!!
3: As for coaches, if you think results don’t speak for themselves, well, there’s an old saying: “Money talks- Bullshit walks!”
4: “As long as he has his brother Donovan helping him out…”
Donovan is dead!

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Lack of grip on reality…hmmmm interesting.

1: Asafa has a HUGE tear across his pec.

-How can you verify this?

2: If money isn’t the ‘be all and end all’ for the manager, you better get a new one!!

-Sometimes making as much money as possible isn’t always what’s best for the athlete’s development/dignity. Morris Chrobotek would probably disagree with me on that though.

3: As for coaches, if you think results don’t speak for themselves, well, there’s an old saying: “Money talks- Bullshit walks!”

4: “As long as he has his brother Donovan helping him out…”
Donovan is dead!

-Donovan is not dead.