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Paul Francis has spoken against the 'spoilt' nature of Jamaican fans following the Paris Olympic games, where the country only produced one medal -Kishane Thompson's 100-meter silver medal - in sprint events.
MVP Track Club head coach Paul Francis, brother to the legendary Stephen Francis, has voiced concerns that Jamaica's incredible success in track and field has left fans "spoilt," to the extent that silver and bronze medalists are often undervalued.
Francis, who has been pivotal in MVP's success, helping athletes secure up to 130 global championship medals, made these remarks during season one of Netflix’s series Sprint.
The show, which followed the journey of star sprinter Shericka Jackson, documented her gold-medal triumph in the women’s 200 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
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08:02 - 24.11.2024
They view track & field as their holy grail’- Kishane Thompson agrees with Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell on how demanding Jamaican fans are
Weeks after Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt described Jamaican fans as being very demanding, the latest Jamaican sprint king has now echoed their sentiments, agreeing with the two legends over how demanding the fans are.
“Shericka Jackson is an amazing athlete and maybe I shouldn’t say this, but she is one of my favorite persons and the future of Jamaican sprinting,” Francis shared.
“Her shoulders really are carrying the burden of Jamaican expectations because my country has been spoilt.
“Jamaicans no longer recognize silver and bronze medals. They want winners and winners only.”
Jamaica’s track and field dominance faced a rare setback at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Kishane Thompson as the lone sprinter to medal, securing silver in a razor-thin loss to America’s Noah Lyles in the 100 meters.
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14:21 - 05.12.2024
'I was so shaken' - Shericka Jackson opens up on 'mental breakdown' following Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200m disaster
Jackson was bashed after 'arrogantly' jogging during the 200m heats at the Tokyo Olympics, which led to her elimination, something she now says left her mentally broken.
Shericka Jackson, a key figure in Jamaican athletics and a five-time major championship gold medalist, was sidelined by injury, missing the 100, 200, and 4x100-meter events.
Her absence marked a historic low, as it was the first time since 2000 that a Jamaican woman failed to medal in any Olympic sprint event.
Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt supported Francis’s observations, noting the immense expectations placed on top athletes, particularly those following in the footsteps of icons.
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15:02 - 06.12.2024
Stephen Francis sheds light on the rift between Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce & Elaine Thompson-Herah at MVP: 'It became too much'
Both Fraser-Pryce & Thompson-Herah were teammates for a long time at MVP under Stephen Francis' guidance, but their rise to becoming world class sprinters naturally created animosity between the two.
“Shericka showed us she is the best, but if you are coming after someone that has set the bar high, there is a lot more pressure,” Bolt explained.
Jackson herself acknowledged how this pressure can be overwhelming, drawing a stark contrast to her carefree days as a high school star.
“I enjoyed being a high school star. There was no pressure, but now, people have high expectations of you,” she revealed on Sprint.“If you are not careful, it is something that can affect you badly.”
While the Jamaican track and field community continues to set high standards, Paul Francis's remarks highlight the need for fans to recognize and celebrate every medal-winning performance.
With athletes like Shericka Jackson at the helm, Jamaica’s sprinting future remains bright—despite the weight of expectations.
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20:00 - 01.12.2024
'They got all the swagger in the world' - American legend Justin Gatlin on what makes MVP track club coaches Stephen & Paul Francis 'great'
Justin Gatlin waxes lyrical of MVP founding head coaches & brothers Stephen & Paul Francis, the masterminds behind churning out talents like Kishane Thompson, Shericka Jackson and more.
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