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KINGSTON, Jamaica – Two of the world’s best female sprinters, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, have praised former coach Stephen Francis for his role in shaping their careers.
Francis, a world-renowned coach and co-founder and former head coach of the MVP Track & Field Club, passed away on Saturday at the age of 64 after a brief illness.
Fraser-Pryce joined the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech)-based MVP in 2006, where she stayed for 14 years before leaving in 2020.
Under Francis’ tutelage, she captured Olympic gold in the 100m in 2012 and won world titles in 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2019.
The now 39-year-old Fraser-Pryce, who retired at the World Championships last year, credited Francis for much of her achievements.
“He was not only my coach but a steady source of guidance during some of the most defining moments of my career. He challenged me to dream beyond my circumstances, demanded excellence with every race, and instilled in me the confidence and resilient spirit that shaped the woman I would become.
“Everything we accomplished together was built on sacrifice in the relentless pursuit for greatness. His standards were uncompromising because he believed his athletes were capable of extraordinary things,” Fraser-Pryce recalled.
“While the world will rightly remember his remarkable achievements, I will remember the man who believed in me and whose impact on my life extends beyond the track. As Jamaicans, we grieve together but we also celebrate a lifetime of extraordinary and immeasurable impact and influence. His philosophy was built on the premise that success was earned through consistency, discipline and self-belief. Those lessons will remain with me always.”
Thompson-Herah, meanwhile, joined the MVP club in 2011 and went on to win gold in both the 100m and 200m at the Rio Olympics in 2016 before repeating the feat at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
She established herself as one of the fastest women in history, clocking 10.54 seconds in the 100m — just 0.05 seconds shy of the world record of 10.49 set by American Florence Griffith Joyner — and 21.53 seconds in the 200m.
Thompson-Herah, who left MVP in 2021 after a reported fallout with Francis, paid tribute to her former coach in a post on social media.
“I’m lost for words right now. Thanks for paving the way, the greatest to ever do it. Rest in peace to an ICON; you will be surely missed,” she said on her official Instagram account while posting photos and videos of herself and Francis.
Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, despite being coached by Glen Mills at Racers Track Club, also paid tribute to Francis.
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