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The highly respected MVP track club coach has namechecked three prodigys he is currently nurturing that have the potential to bring Jamaican sprinting back to the top after a rough Paris Olympics.
MVP Track Club head coach Stephen Francis has expressed optimism about Jamaica's future in sprinting, despite the country's underwhelming performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Francis, known for molding legends like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, believes he has identified a group of eight female sprinters capable of restoring Jamaica’s dominance in track and field.
At the Paris Games, Jamaica only managed one sprinting medal, courtesy of MVP athlete Kishane Thompson, who claimed silver in the 100 meters with a time of 9.79 seconds, narrowly missing out on gold to Noah Lyles.
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16:47 - 04.10.2024
Stephen Francis on why Elaine Thompson-Herah should consider moving to US amidst rumors of potential return to MVP track club
Stephen Francis has previously explained why Elaine Thompson Herah needs to consider moving to the United States if she is to stand any chance of overcoming her injury problems to return to the top.
However, with the likes of Thompson, Ackeem Blake, and Oblique Seville—three of Jamaica's elite male sprinters—yet to reach their peak, and with stars like Shericka Jackson being sidelined due to injury, there remains plenty to look forward to in Jamaican sprinting.
On the women’s side, teenage sensation Tia Clayton made headlines by reaching the final in the 100 meters. Francis has tipped her and her twin sister, Tina, as part of the next generation that could shine. Alongside the Clayton twins, Francis also highlighted the potential of Krystal Sloley, who he believes is poised for greatness despite facing significant challenges balancing her track career with her demanding architecture studies at the University of Technology (U-Tech).
“This is the best group I’ve ever seen,” Francis told SportsMax last June, speaking about the eight athletes he has identified. “We keep a lot of data. We have data available from 2003. Unless there is something wrong with the tracker, we are invested in timing, so it is objective. Based on that, I think we have an exceptional group of eight women who are really, really good.”
One standout from the group, Sloley, who first found her passion for track and field at Ardenne Preparatory and later developed her skills at Campion College, has faced hurdles in her development due to her academic commitments. Studying architecture—a rigorous and time-consuming program—has made it difficult for her to train consistently at an optimal level, something Francis acknowledged has slowed her progress.
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19:00 - 07.10.2024
'Greatful' Elaine Thompson-Herah reacts for the first time since parting ways with Reynaldo Walcott
Thompson-Herah has reacted for the first time since parting ways with coach Reynaldo Walcott amid talks of a sensational reunion with Stephen Francis' MVP Track Club
“This is her third year with us, and she is where she is supposed to be, but her growth has been hampered by the fact she studies architecture,” Francis revealed. “That is a very demanding program at U-Tech, and so you have to temper your expectations for her with that fact.”
Despite these challenges, Sloley has shown immense potential, clocking a personal best of 10.99 seconds at the Racers Grand Prix last June. Although she did not qualify for the Olympics, Francis remains confident that once she completes her studies, Sloley will have a breakthrough year.
Francis also admitted that the demands of Sloley’s academic life affected her performance in the gym, particularly during the crucial fall training period. “She had to go to the Dominican Republic for work, but since being back, she has been able to train without missing classes or gym sessions,” he added. “She has been disappointing in the weight room because a lot of that work is done during the fall when she is busiest with school.”
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Despite these setbacks, Francis believes that Sloley is still progressing as expected. He also mentioned a frustrating incident at the trials where Sloley, along with other MVP athletes, was affected by technical issues. “She had a very unfortunate accident at the trials. Most of our girls were in lane eight, and the speaker wasn’t working, so they had to react to the people further inside.”
With a blend of young talent like the Clayton twins and Sloley, and with Francis at the helm, Jamaica’s future in sprinting looks promising. The veteran coach is confident that once these athletes overcome their current obstacles, they will make their mark on the global stage and bring Jamaican sprinting back to its glory days.
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