As the new track season approaches six Cayman athletes probably feel better prepared than their rivals because they had the benefit of training with the two fastest men in the world in Jamaica just before Christmas. It was a dream training trip in Kingston for the youngsters who got to rub shoulders with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.
Chantelle Morrison, Shayla Torres, Kristen Dixon, Troy Long, Lloyd Barker and Kirk Williamson are the Mustang Track Club members who trained with the Racers Track Club. All came back with a wealth of knowledge and motivation to begin the track season at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex on 14 January in great shape having spent a week getting tips off Bolt and Blake.
Training was conducted twice a day at seven in the morning and three in the afternoon. Each gruelling session lasted about three hours. The morning one was totally in the swimming pool and the afternoon session was up hills and on the track. The swimming session included plyometrics, running, exercising with weighted vests and swimming.
Guiding the team was Racers assistant coach Jermaine Shands who took the Cayman athletes through their paces each day. Racers head coach is Glenn Mills, the celebrated trainer who has guided Bolt and Blake to super-stardom.
Coach Tyrone Yen who took the Caymanians over said: “It was indeed an experience for our athletes who not only trained exceptionally hard each day but got to train with Bolt and Blake. At the end of sessions they all got a chance to interact with the stars and took photos as well. Troy and Chantelle impressed so much they were both given an invite to study at the University of the West Indies and to be a part of Racers club.”
Yen was extremely impressed with the level of commitment from the Cayman squad who never flagged in training. Mustang will be arranging another trip to the Racers track club next month, possibly to compete as well.
He said: “Mills wants Chantelle to attend UWI. She will be 18 at the end of January and has overcome all her hamstring injury problems of the last two years. She’s been seeing a physio two or three times a week and went through all the hard training sessions without any ill effects.
“She’s had MRI scans at the Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital which revealed no scar tissue. I only hope when the time to race comes nothing happens. That’s why she’ll be doing only the 400 metres when she starts racing, to ease herself in.”
Long is a 200m specialist. He too has had injury problems – with his back. But the 17-year-old speedster has overcome that and so impressed the Racers coaches that they are keen for him to study in Kingston. Shands even predicted Long is capable of running a 200m in 20.8 seconds this year which would break the Cayman national record.
Yen added: “Bolt was very friendly and spoke to our athletes a lot after training. Him and Blake seem to be real bosom buddies. It was good for our kids to see the level of professionalism they have. It is very strict at Racers. For instance, you get fined for arriving for training late and all sessions are strictly adhered to. As a coach, I learnt a lot too.
“I like the strictness. Bert Cameron, who was a great Jamaican 400m runner years ago, is a coach there now and he is a no nonsense guy. That really impressed me.
“Mustang track club would like to thank our many sponsors, parents and athletes and coaches Glenn Mills, Jermaine Shands, Racers Track Club and Cynthia Coke who all made this trip possible.”
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