Shericka Jackson’s coach reveals ‘silly’ mistakes that cost Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team an Olympic spot

Shericka Jackson’s coach has revealed who the two coaches were who sabotaged the men’s 4x400m relay team that failed to qualify for the Olympics, citing what they could have done differently.

Shericka Jackson’s coach Stephen Francis blamed the lack of professionalism of coach Jose Boesch, also known as Coach Gil, and coach David Riley for costing the men’s 4x400m relay team a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Francis explained that Coach Gil left Riley in charge of everything concerning the team, a decision that would lead to a disastrous end to the relay team’s Olympic campaign.

The veteran tactician explained that it was a move he knew would not work and noted that expecting athletes who ran the 400 metres at the Jamaican Olympic trials to run the relay was an injustice and they certainly would not record faster times.

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“Mr. Gil, as good as he is, has left everything in the hands of David Riley to make the decisions and Mr. Riley doesn’t even know what he’s talking about or doing.” Francisco said National Radio 90 FM.

“This 4x400m attempt was comical and I realised long before that it wasn’t going to work because you expect people who qualified for the 400m to run the 4x400m, they’re not going to do it.” he added.

Francis had advised Coach Mil to look for a race in Europe, noting that no competition organizer would turn down a request to hold a relay race and help the Jamaican team qualify for the Olympics.

He insisted that he had informed the coach to consult with himself, Coach Glen Mills or Coach Maurice Wilson before making any crucial decisions, but Coach Mills did not follow the advice and instead decided to do things his way.

“What they should have done, the first weekend in May, they failed to qualify, you pick up the phone and go to Europe and ask one of the meetings to organize a 4x400m, the national teams in Europe don’t mind running or if not, they gather other people and choose a fast track to run,” he said.

“They rely on people who don’t know the customs, the practices, the tricks and the procedures and they don’t ask questions. I told Mr. Gil that what he was doing in the 400 meters was nonsense. I told him that before he made any decision he should consult me, Mr. Mills or Mr. Wilson, people who know the sport and have lived it. He never listened to me and he was destined to fail.”

Coach Stephen Francis, the man behind Shericka Jackson’s exploits, has explained Elaine Thompson-Herah’s uniqueness as a sprinter and outlined what the double Olympic champion needs to do to get back on track.