Francis

Following sharply on the heels of Glen Mills' decision to discontinue his association with Jamaican teams at major championships as head coach, fellow top-brass coach, Stephen Francis, has distanced himself from the post, choosing instead to concentrate on his MVP Track Club athletes.

Francis, who has a long-standing dispute with local athletics regulators, the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA), which came to a boil during last year's Olympic Games and before the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August, underlined his commitment to his athletes and believes taking up such a post would represent a serious conflict of interest.

hypocritical move

The outspoken Francis, who conditions the likes of Olympic and World champions Shelly-Ann Fraser and Melaine Walker, along with former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, 100m hurdles World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Olympic and World 400m silver medallist Shericka Williams, emphasised that his allegiance is only reserved for the athletes under his personal care and nobody else.

Said Francis: "It would be very hypocritical if I were to accept a position as team coach of the Jamaican team. I believe that post is for someone with less personal interest," he told The Gleaner.

"I have in the past strongly believed that people who coach a number of athletes, especially non-Jamaicans in a private capacity, should not be accepting positions on a national programme primarily because, well for me, I am really interested in how the athletes who I coach perform, and if I coach an athlete from Trinidad or from Bahrain, I am going to want my athlete to beat any Jamaican that I do not coach as a result of the whole athlete-coach thing," a candid Francis stated.

"The truth of the matter is that I don't have the best interest of the Jamaican team members at heart. What I do have is the best interest of the people that I coach at heart."

Francis, who was part of Jamaica's coaching team for the 2001 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, under special circumstances, has turned down several subsequent offers to be part of the coaching contingent.

"I have repeatedly in the past turned down offers and have told the JAAA that I will not be available for any such position because it's not fair to the athletes who are a part of the team, it is not necessary. But some people, for whatever reason, have felt that they need to continue doing it," Francis stated.

"I don't do it and I don't see that changing in the future because as I said, I am going to want to see my individual athletes who I coach from whichever country beat whichever Jamaicans they are up against as long as I don't coach them (Jamaican athlete)," he continued.

possible replacement

When asked to comment on Mills' tenure and to identify a possible replacement for upcoming assignments at next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, and the 2011 World Championships, Francis did not single out anyone in particular, but expressed the hope that the choice is solid.

Said Francis: "I wouldn't want to recommend anybody. These things (appointments) are not done by ability anyway. it's about friendships and who is comfortable working with whom, and so forth. At the end of the day, however, the selection process is carried out. I hope it is someone who would be an asset to the people who will represent Jamaica at these meets."