Jerry Lee Holness, head coach of the women’s 400m and 400m Hurdles team
| Photo Credit: K. Keerthivasan
It’s been just three months since Jerry Lee Holness has taken charge as head coach of the Indian women’s 400m & 400m hurdles team, but the Jamaican is confident of getting good results and insisted that it could be done by nurturing young talents and mentoring senior athletes.
According to the 65-year-old Jamaican, who has been a mentor to Olympic and World champions Elaine Thompson-Herah and Nesta Carter, in India athletes are under immense pressure to produce results. “And I think that is one problem in India, athletes are being pressured every time they go on to the track. People expect them to run very fast or to run his or her personal best, even if it’s the athlete’s first outing of the season. I’m trying to culture them, to change that culture so to say.”
Jerry said he will do his best to educate the athletes about the mental, physical and psychological aspects of the sport. “It’s also about education, you know, getting them to understand the mental aspect and the psychological aspect of it. And, you know, that is, you know, I’m trying to combine both the physical training and the mental aspect of training. So, hopefully, we will see some results,” he said.
Jerry said one of his main tasks is to look out for young talents. “We have to look out for the new generation. It’s a four-year cycle. We are looking to incorporate quite a few u-19, u-20 kids. And to work with them to put them on a two, three, four-year plan and to develop from there. Because, you know, athletics is all about the cycle. But we have to blend the old with some younger ones,” he said.
Jerry’s major goal is to ensure he puts up a good team for the World Relay Championships in Guangzhou on May 10 and 11. “We have a good chance to enter the finals,” he said.
Published – April 14, 2025 10:50 pm IST
