MVP coach take charge of athletes

World-renowned coach Stephen Francis is now in charge of Asafa Powell and other members of the MVP Track Club at the Tianjin Training Centre, just outside of Beijing.



Francis resumed his coaching responsibility on Thursday, just a few days after he blasted the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA), for allowing unfamiliar coaches to take charge of his athletes at the Training Centre.



He further said he would not be responsible for the performances of his 10 MVP athletes on Jamaica’s team, because he will not be personally training them for the next two weeks.



However, a release from the JAAA this week said Francis had rejected an offer from the local association to join the coaching staff.



The JAAA further said Francis was among three coaches, who were accredited personally to coach their athletes in Beijing, but refused that offer on arrival in China.



The MVP Track Club athletes, led by Powell, Michael Frater, Sherone Simpson and Shelly-Ann Fraser skipped Sunday and Monday sprint relay practice sessions at the pre-Olympic training camp in protest.



The group was then summoned to an emergency meeting and eventually reported to training on Tuesday.