Jamaica has just over 3 million inhabitants. At the Olympics, Jamaica won more medals than all other countries except the US, Russia, and Kenya. Five world records were broken at the Olympics, 3 of them by Jamaica in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay respectively. Jamaica was represented in 13 of the 14 sprint, relay and hurdles finals. They won 7 of a possible 12 medals in the 100m and 200m and one swept in the women’s 100m. Usain Bolt broke the world record for running 200 meters against the wind. Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell from Jamaica are now the fastest in history. Powell is second only to Maurice Greene in the under 10 second category. Bolt has 3 of the top ten 200m times in history. Michael Johnson has only 2. The 2 Jamaicans have broken the world record 3 times. The Jamaicans took the first places in the 100 meters.
They were the top 2 in both the 100 and 200m. So what is the secret to the success of the Jamaican sprinters? Good; many attribute the success to Dennis Johnson, the father of college-level sprinting in Jamaica. Dennis Johnson was trained by Loyd C “Bud” Winter, a legendary sprint coach in the US When Johnson returned to Jamaica he brought many of Winter’s ideas to the island. Although Jamaica’s sprint program is basic at first glance, its coaches are very experienced and knowledgeable. Glen Mills, trainer of Usain Bolt, was also responsible for the success experienced by Raymond Stewart, world-class sprinter of the 1980s. Stephen Francis, the trainer of Asafa Powell, has other successful athletes such as Sherone Simpson, Michael Frater and Brigitte Foster-Hylton. The trainers have an attention to detail and technique. The facilities are basic and run down compared to other sprint programs in the US, but according to Denis Shaver, one of the best coaches in the US, Jamaicans have plenty of talented people. At the Technological University of Jamaica, athletes train on a bumpy and uneven grass track. Track lines are burned into the surface with diesel because they can’t afford the weekly chalk marking on the grass. The weight room is basic and equipped with old and rusty machinery.
However, could it be that the basic facilities available to Jamaican sprinters are part of the reason for their success? Most world-class sprint programs train on synthetic surfaces made from rubber. Jamaicans train in both but efficiently on grass. Running on different surfaces can influence the amount of work done by your leg muscles. For example, running on a soft surface will require your muscles to work harder than running on a hard surface. On a soft surface, the body must work harder to stabilize. The muscles will try to stretch as little as possible to allow the tendons to do most of the work. This extra time will lead to stronger muscles. Training on a softer surface will require the tendons to become more elastic (compliant) in order to store energy and release it when the foot lifts off the ground. Being forced to settle for grass as their primary training surface could well work to the Jamaicans’ advantage. Jamaican trainers insist on a high volume of hill work throughout the year. Uphill running provides specific stress to the muscles responsible for accelerating the body to top speed in short sprints. Jamaicans are also interested in long distance running. So what exactly is distance in speed training?
Distance training involves sprinting between 150 and 600% of the competition distance. When running, this will improve the body’s ability to use sugar for energy. The energy catalysts known as enzymes will increase in concentration, leading to improvements in power, speed and endurance. They also train speed throughout the year. The weather is conducive to speed training. How to train like Jamaican sprinters. Find a good trainer who understands the technique and your event. Train on different surfaces, but efficiently on soft surfaces. Sprint uphill. Sprint over long and short distances.
