BUDAPEST, Hungary - Rolando "Lonnie" Greene, arguably the most established and most influential Bahamian athletics coach, has made a commitment to assist with the development of young Bahamian athletes, and young people in general, in helping them to achieve their goals.
Greene, who serves as the head athletics coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats program, was in Budapest, Hungary, attending the 19th World Athletics Championships, as the personal coach for Bahamian hurdler Devynne Charlton and as a coach for other athletes as well.
Greene helped lead Charlton to a fourth place finish in the women's 100 meters (m) hurdles, clocking 12.52 seconds in the final. Charlton had her best collection of races in that event on the global stage at the world championships, running a new national record of 12.44 seconds in the heats, 12.49 seconds in the semis, and 12.52 in the final.
She is now the fourth-best female short hurdler in the world and is aspiring for even greater heights in 2024. Greene was pleased with what Charlton did in Budapest and is optimistic that she will be on the medal podium at next year's Olympic Games in Paris, France.
"She ran well. She's in an event where the window for error is probably greater than in any other track and field event for you to experience success," said Greene. "I thought she could be on the podium. She ran 12.44 in the heats and then a 12.49 in the semis. I just wish the 12.44 would have showed up in the final. Delay is never denial. She is ready to run and we will be ready for Paris. That's the objective – that's our goal."
Charlton is one of the fastest starters in that event in the world, and she proved that during the world championships, consistently being the first out of the blocks in her races and building a lead in the early
portion of her races. The same took place in the final, but after hitting the first hurdle, that might have thrown her stride off a bit. Still, she recovered to finish fourth in the final in one of the fastest times in her career.
Indoors, Charlton won a silver medal in the 60m hurdles on the global stage, finishing second at the world indoor championships at Štark Arena, in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2022. Now, she wants to duplicate the medal success outdoors. Greene feels that she is in the right track.
"Indoors, we believe that she will make a run at the world record in the indoor 60, and then from there, it's getting ready for Paris," he said. "She's got to get physically stronger. Sprinting is about power and distribution. Sprinting is about applying force and you get better at that with getting physically stronger. Mentally, she has broken through. She is one of the best hurdlers in the world. She is the fourth-best hurdler on Earth, but people don't look at it like that. With more physical strength, you will see more power and then you will see more speed."
Greene has guided Charlton for much of her athletic career, serving as her college coach at Purdue University and now continuing to coach her as an elite professional athlete. Charlton followed him to Lexington, Kentucky, and in addition to training, she serves as a volunteer coach at the university under Greene.
Greene is entering what will be his 37th year as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate coach. He is one of the coaches who has been mentioned to assist with the introduction of a national sports academy in The Bahamas, and pledged his commitment, saying he will do whatever he can to help young people.
"I've always said, whatever I could do to help young people, young individuals in The Bahamas, if it's within my power, I'm available," he said. "I would always hold them to the greatest standard of accomplishment of comportment, of academics and then lastly, athletics. I'm in the business of young people. At the end of the day, if I could give back, and help that academy that Dr. Danny Johnson talked about, I am all for that.
"There will come a time when I'm done, but in the meantime, I want to make an impact and I want to give back and mentor young Bahamians and young people in general. That's the call that's on my life. The reality is there has to be standards, there has to be a commitment not just from the government and not just from the academy but a commitment from the young people as well and their parents. Whatever connections are available to me are available to The Bahamas."
Former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr. Daniel Johnson spoke about the establishment of a national sports academy during the ministry's team reception and luncheon in Budapest. Johnson said the idea behind the academy is to bring in college coaches to work with Bahamian athletes in assisting with their development, and coaches like Greene would go a long way toward bringing the program into existence.
The Bahamas finished in a five-way tie for 44th in the placing table with eight points at the world championships. The country is looking for a far greater showing at nest year's world relays and the Olympic Games - the next two global outdoor meets on the athletics calendar in which The Bahamas participates.
The World Relays Bahamas 2024 is set for May 4-5, 2024, at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in New Providence, The Bahamas, and the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, in Paris, France.
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