One of the most iconic stars in the history of track and field is back in The Bahamas after many years, and is ready to embrace the thrill and excitement of the IAAF/BTC World Relays Bahamas 2017.
American Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic Champion who has amassed over 20 gold medals at major meets and broken a number of records, took time out of his busy schedule to entertain local media yesterday, just three days before the start of the world relays. The third International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays is set for this Saturday and Sunday at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, right here in Nassau, The Bahamas.
Lewis is not here in an official capacity for the world relays, but one of his athletes, Leshon Collins, is representing the United States at the global event this weekend. Lewis serves as an assistant coach, alongside Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, at the University of Houston, and runs his Perfect Method program which is geared to further developing and preparing young athletes. Another one of Lewis' athletes, Bajan Mario Burke, will also take part in the world relays this weekend -- competing for Barbados.
Now that he is into coaching full-time, Lewis said that he is committed to re-establishing the American brand as the greatest track and field sprinting power in the world.
"Everyone who is an American can understand the frustration, especially someone like myself who has been around for a while," said Lewis. "We have not won a major relay for about 10 years in the men's 4x100 meters. I have been asked to come in and advise in any way that I can, and I'm accepting that role. Let's work together. I look at Houston, and Houston might be the best city in the world for high school track and field. I really believe that, and that is what excites me. Just seeing the fast times that I see there in high school is special. Something like the world relays is a great event for them to aspire to compete in. I'm just glad that they have put these kind of events together, because the fans really love the relays and it is an opportunity for young athletes to compete in another event."
Lewis retired from competitive track and field in 1997. He took some time away from the sport before venturing into coaching. After the 2012 Olympics, he said that he felt the time was right to offer his assistance to young track and field athletes.
"The 2012 Olympics was the worst in history for the U.S. men's track and field team," said Lewis. "I sat there and I was like what is going on. We have all of these great colleges, and all of these sprint programs, and we're not producing. I felt like if I got back in the sport, I would get back in with the objective of building Olympic Champions. I went and volunteered for a year, and then Coach Leroy Burrell asked me to come on as a sprint coach. I said that I would do it under the auspices of us building Olympic Champions. That's my goal."
For now, Lewis said that it feels great to be back in The Bahamas -- a place that he frequented quite a bit.
"I've had a great relationship with The Bahamas for a long time -- visiting here and vacationing here," said Lewis. "Frank Rutherford (Bahamian Olympian) and I have had a relationship for a very long time. We've known each other for over 30 years, and now we're coaching together in Houston. There is a close relationship going on with Houston and Bahamians. Myself, I'm back here, and I'm adopting it. Then we have Brianne Bethel (Bahamian sprinter) who is on the track team. One of the 'Golden Girls', Debbie Ferguson, is a coach on the track team. Also, Frank Rutherford is a coach in Houston and the school record holder. So, we have a real connection, and we have a new signee coming in as well."
Lewis' Perfect Method program aims to give young athletes and coaches everything they need in order to compete at the highest level, whether it be technical running skills, seasonal conditioning, optimized nutrition, mental preparation or discipline.
"Our university program is a training base for the Olympic Games. One of my goals is to see the young athletes get their degrees then they move on to Team Perfect Method. It's the long-term vision of creating an Olympic base program, and using the college experience."
Everything this weekend is geared toward the world relays. A total of USD$1.26 million is up for grabs in prize money.
"I think we need to work harder for it to be more. It should be $1.2 million per event," said Lewis. "The NFL (National Football League) is a nine billion dollar annual business -- millions of dollars per minute. That is what we should aspire to. We should push for more, and see how the athletes could work with federations and organizers to get the prize money up. What is missing is the middle class. We need middle class events for the athletes, so that these young athletes could have the off meets that they could go to until they get to the big meets. Let's get down in the trenches and make it happen. We'll get those numbers up by having a lot of little meets."
Lewis said that the IAAF should work toward staging more ancillary meets around the big meets.
"Europe used to be full of meets, and now a lot of them are gone," he said. "If an athlete could earn $50,000 per year in track and field, they don't have to work, and that would be ideal. Now, it's either you don't make anything, or you make $100,000. To me, I think that's what we should focus on. I think the IAAF should spend more time developing meets and creating new meets with new promoters and sponsors."
Lewis is the only athlete in history to win long jump gold at four successive Olympics. He is a former world record holder in the men's 100 meters (m), and was a part of world record setting 4x100m and 4x200m relay teams.
The track and field legend is looking forward to the world relays this weekend.
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