What a bloody mess…
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TIM BENJAMIN ANNOUNCEMENT
Tim Benjamin Tim Benjamin (Belgrave Harriers) today announced he has taken the decision to leave Colin Jackson’s training group. The 25 year-old 400m runner will now concentrate on his long term development as he moves forward towards the Beijing and London Olympics.
Benjamin said: “After much consideration I have taken the difficult decision to leave Colin Jackson’s training group in Cardiff. I believe this is the right decision for me with Beijing just around the corner and the Olympics in London five years away. I want to take this opportunity to thank Colin for all he has done for me.”
UK Athletics Performance Director Dave Collins said: "It is important for our senior athletes to try new things as part of their training and long term development.
“We will now work with Tim to focus on getting him in the best possible shape for the rest of the season and to prepare him for the starting line in Beijing next year with the full and continuing support of UK Athletics."
Colin Jackson added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Tim and his decision has my full support. I wish him every success and believe he has the talent and ability to achieve at the highest level. I am proud of my work with Tim and look forward to contributing to the development of British athletes.”
I’m sure Smith would love to have him, but Tim’s been down this path before. Does this:
We will now work with Tim to focus on getting him in the best possible shape for the rest of the season and to prepare him for the starting line in Beijing next year with the full and continuing support of UK Athletics.
Really mean:
We plan to continue our policy that Tim will have financial support as long as he doesn’t train with any yanks?
It rather looks from the IAAF results that they don’t know what they’re doing (at least in the 400) over there. The question is: How far will the bureaucrats go to avoid having to admit the situation?
UK Athletics Performance Director Dave Collins said: "It is important for our senior athletes to try new things as part of their training and long term development.
I bet that goes down a treat with coaches in the UK.
How many coaches has Benjamin gone through since 04? Just curious.
The primary thing that both Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis had in common is that they stuck with the same coach for their entire career and from a very early age. It amazes me that athletes don’t get it.
Please contrast Danny Everett, Steve Lewis and Kevin Young all of whom left John Smith and slowly slid into mediocrity.
One can’t blame Tim Benjamin for seeking the best coaching available so as to realise his dream of being the best 400m runner he can be.
His biggest mistake was not doing his homework and checking the 400m COACHING credentials of the person he chose to guide him.
Jackson was a wonderful athlete - 110m hurdler and short sprinter in his own right, but that individual athlete success does not necessarily guarantee to cross over into a coaching career.
Like a lot of former elite level athletes, they become impatient and step into coaching thinking it’s just a matter of time before they are churning out world class athletes.
A telltale sign is they want the ready made athletes already on the world stage rather than go off and find one they can nurture and bring through over several years.
An apprenticeship working at the grass roots and developing as a coach is equally as important as developing the athlete.
Charle Francis’s own beginnings as a club coach in Canada is well documented and demonstrates the best coaches work from the ground up, willing to take on untried athletes and constantly developing and evolving.
Not saying everyone needs to go down this path, but it’s a sign that you’ve developed the background to reach the top the hard way and not sought short cuts.
Very few who were once elite athletes have the genuine passion, desire and the preparedness to be in it for the long haul.
That’s why so few become long term, successful coaches.
Benjamin should be seeking out the coach with the most sustained success with 400m athletes and have demonstrated a capacity to improve athletes over the journey.
Hopefullly this time around, the 2nd stupidest man in Britain can at least assist Tim B with the resources he needs to team up with the best available coach and stick with him (her) for at least a couple of years.
The former 110m hurdles world record holder said: "Tim is very determined to make an impression at next year’s Olympic Games and believes he is best sticking with the sort of training schedule he has undertaken in the past.
!