)
Since taking over the relays in 2022, Lewis Freeman has steered Team USA to consistent victories, including a golden treble at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Mechelle Lewis Freeman, head coach of Team USA’s women’s relay squads, has opened up about the tactical decisions that helped her team dethrone Jamaica’s star-studded lineup at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Orgeon.
Speaking on Justin Gatlin’s Ready Set Go podcast, Lewis Freeman detailed how precision, preparation, and baton exchanges were pivotal in upsetting a Jamaican team powered by sprint legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Lewis Freeman, who assumed her role as head coach in 2022 after years of working with both junior and senior relay teams, emphasized the importance of chemistry and technical expertise in relays.
)
21:00 - 19.11.2024
'She is my little bit but she is alot' - Dennis Mitchell unveils the unique traits about his sprint stars Sha'Carri Richardson, Mellisa Jefferson & 'Tee Tee' Terry
Mitchell coaches Sha'Carri Richardson, Mellisa Jefferson and Twanisha 'Tee Tee' Terry, who represented USA in the final of the 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as well as the 4 by 100 meter
“I had been working with Tee Tee Terry in the junior teams. Our youngsters like Melissa Jefferson and Abby Steiner in that moment of time were really special, and watching them that year, I could see how special they were,” she said.
Jefferson, Steiner, Jenna Prandini, and Terry formed the winning quartet. Jefferson blazed through the first leg with an 11.35 split, handing the baton to Steiner, who outpaced Jamaica’s Thompson-Herah to maintain Team USA's lead.
Prandini, a highly technical third-leg runner, widened the gap before Terry held off a charging Jackson on the anchor leg.A Calculated Anchor Leg Decision.
One of Freeman’s toughest calls was deciding whether to field Aleia Hobbs—the highest-placing American in the 100m final—or stick with Terry as anchor.
)
17:00 - 31.10.2024
'She is highly educated' - American sprint icon Carmelita Jetter waxes lyrical of 'phenomenal' Sha'Carri Richardson's teammate 'Tee Tee' Terry
Jetter, who anchored Team USA to a 4 by 100m World Record at the 2012 Olympics, has revealed the qualities about Tee Tee Terry that make her a 'phenomenal' athlete.
“Aleia finishes top 100-meter finisher for the women. Prandini does not make the final, Tee Tee does not make the final. So you are making a hard decision if you stick to what you say you want to do at practice,” she explained.
Freeman ultimately chose Terry, trusting the synergy built during relay camp. Reflecting on a costly mistake made in the mixed 4x400m relay earlier that year, where she opted for sentimentality by fielding Allyson Felix in her farewell race, Freeman vowed to stick with her tested lineup.
Executing the Baton Strategy to PerfectionFreeman revealed her winning formula: exploiting Jamaica’s minor vulnerabilities with impeccable baton exchanges.
“The only way we were beating Jamaica that year—the big three swept the podium—was baton speed. Every speed and every zone, we were gonna make up. By the time we got the stick to the anchor, we had made up so much space that no one understood how we were that far ahead,” she shared.
This focus on seamless transitions allowed Team USA to neutralize Jamaica's raw leg speed and secure a memorable victory.A Legacy of Relay SuccessSince taking over the relays in 2022, Lewis Freeman has steered Team USA to consistent victories, including a golden treble at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Her emphasis on preparation, strategy, and trust in her athletes has set a new standard for relay success.As Freeman’s legacy grows, her triumph over a Jamaican team featuring three of the greatest sprinters in history stands as a testament to her coaching brilliance.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)