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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.
MVP Track Club head coach Stephen Francis has given his honest opinion on what Elaine Thompson-Herah needs to do if she is to ever get back to the heights she reached back in 2021.
Thompson-Herah, who has been in the spotlight after parting ways with Elite Performance Track Club and coach Reynaldo Walcott, is now left searching for a new coach as she prepares for the 2025 season.
Having joined Walcott’s camp last November with hopes of defending her 100m and 200m Olympic titles at Paris 2024, Thompson-Herah's journey was derailed by an Achilles injury, ruling her out of the Games.
The injury marked a painful setback for the 32-year-old sprinter, the only woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic titles in both the 100m and 200m.
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19:10 - 03.10.2024
'It makes me question myself' - Usain Bolt reveals 'amazing' quality he admires in Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Usain Bolt has revealed the 'amazing' quality of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce which at times leaves him questioning why he decided to retire in 2017.
Now, with her sights set on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Thompson-Herah finds herself at a crossroads, and rumors have circulated about a potential return to MVP Track Club, where she achieved the peak of her success.
Her potential return to the club has previously been met with firm resistance from her former coach, Stephen Francis. Speaking to Sportsmax.TV back in 2023, Francis made it clear that he is unwilling to welcome her back, citing her ungrateful comments upon leaving MVP in 2021.
"The way she left and the comments that she made, and the fact that she has yet to accredit any member of the MVP staff who paid her a lot of attention and went through a lot of sacrifice to get her healthy enough to run and to do what she did in 2021," Francis explained.
He was particularly disappointed that Thompson-Herah did not acknowledge the club's efforts during her record-breaking performances, attributing her success instead to her husband and other factors.
Francis further emphasized that her departure left a sour taste, as she failed to publicly thank MVP Track Club for its role in her success. “Even if she had said, ‘Thanks to MVP, I’m really grateful,’ we would have been fine,” he stated, before adding, “I would take back any of my former athletes, but not her.”
Despite his firm stance on her return, Francis expressed sympathy for Thompson-Herah’s current struggles. Following her failure to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics, he admitted to Nationwide 90 FM that he "felt sorry" for her and offered his opinion on what she needs to do to revive her career.
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06:02 - 04.10.2024
Elaine Thompson-Herah: Will third coaching change in three years revive her stuttering career?
Jamaican sprint legend Elaine Thompson-Herah is looking for a new coach for the third time in three years but there are doubts whether the change will return her to her glory days.
According to Francis, Thompson-Herah’s body may not be suited to the training methods employed by most coaches in Jamaica, who focus heavily on natural ability rather than mechanical techniques.
“If she were to ask me what she should do, I would tell her to go somewhere in the States and train,” Francis suggested, implying that U.S.-based training programs might be better suited to her current physical condition. “I don’t think she is going to be able to survive using the methods which they use out here to try and get her to top speed,” he added.
Francis also noted that MVP Track Club is currently prioritizing other athletes, making a return unlikely. “She can’t fit in at MVP because there is too much talent right now which is a priority,” he stated.
While the rift between Thompson-Herah and MVP Track Club appears to have deepened, Francis’s advice reflects his enduring respect for the sprinter’s abilities and his concern for her well-being. “It’s hard to coach somebody for over 10 years and not develop some kind of bond, and I don’t like to see what’s happening to her,” he concluded.
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