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Ben Johnson's former coach loses battle with cancer
Francis' training legacy will live on
By Peter James, Canwest News Service May 13, 2010
Charlie Francis, the former Canadian sprinter and track and field coach best known for his link to Ben Johnson's positive drug test in 1988, died in his hometown of Toronto on Wednesday after a five-year battle with cancer.
Francis, 61, is remembered for re-thinking how Canadians trained for speed events and his generosity with his athletes and fellow coaches.
Although he was banned from coaching in Canada following the '88 Games, his legacy lives on through training methods he brought to Canada and in the stiffer drug testing regulations that emerged after the steroid scandal.
"Charlie brought really the East German program [to Canada]," Athletics Canada head coach Alex Gardiner said in a phone interview.
"The tale goes that he convinced some of the East German coaches to give up their stories in exchange for Levi's and American dollars.
" ... He obviously learned some secrets of the drug world from them, too, but most importantly he learned how to design programs."
Canada's track and field program is now considered to be clean, but Gardiner said some of the training ideas Francis introduced to Canadian coaches are still in use.
Francis' programs were built on speed and the mastery of the technical elements of sprinting. Previously, Canadian coaches had been influenced by the British, New Zealand and Australian models, which emphasized endurance.
"He changed our thinking to as it should be," Gardiner said, noting many of Francis' former athletes have since joined the coaching ranks.
"First of all, pay attention to the technical model, you have to be perfect because you have very little time to make a mistake. Secondly, develop speed first, then develop speed endurance next."
Before becoming a coach, Francis was a successful sprinter in his own right. A national champion at 100 metres, he represented Canada at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Off the track, Francis was known for his willingness to extend a helping hand to his athletes. Gardiner said Francis would often dip into his own pockets to help athletes pay for meals and new shoes. Angela Issajenko, a sprinter who competed for Canada at the 1984 Olympics, holds Francis in high regard.
"Charlie was the most amazing person in the world to me," Issajenko said in an e-mail.
"I want to hold on to the amazing memories and cherish them."
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/sabotage+victim+Johnson+says/3083961/Johnson+former+coach+loses+battle+with+cancer/3022059/story.html#ixzz0pKb4o1BY
Francis' training legacy will live on
By Peter James, Canwest News Service May 13, 2010
Charlie Francis, the former Canadian sprinter and track and field coach best known for his link to Ben Johnson's positive drug test in 1988, died in his hometown of Toronto on Wednesday after a five-year battle with cancer.
Francis, 61, is remembered for re-thinking how Canadians trained for speed events and his generosity with his athletes and fellow coaches.
Although he was banned from coaching in Canada following the '88 Games, his legacy lives on through training methods he brought to Canada and in the stiffer drug testing regulations that emerged after the steroid scandal.
"Charlie brought really the East German program [to Canada]," Athletics Canada head coach Alex Gardiner said in a phone interview.
"The tale goes that he convinced some of the East German coaches to give up their stories in exchange for Levi's and American dollars.
" ... He obviously learned some secrets of the drug world from them, too, but most importantly he learned how to design programs."
Canada's track and field program is now considered to be clean, but Gardiner said some of the training ideas Francis introduced to Canadian coaches are still in use.
Francis' programs were built on speed and the mastery of the technical elements of sprinting. Previously, Canadian coaches had been influenced by the British, New Zealand and Australian models, which emphasized endurance.
"He changed our thinking to as it should be," Gardiner said, noting many of Francis' former athletes have since joined the coaching ranks.
"First of all, pay attention to the technical model, you have to be perfect because you have very little time to make a mistake. Secondly, develop speed first, then develop speed endurance next."
Before becoming a coach, Francis was a successful sprinter in his own right. A national champion at 100 metres, he represented Canada at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Off the track, Francis was known for his willingness to extend a helping hand to his athletes. Gardiner said Francis would often dip into his own pockets to help athletes pay for meals and new shoes. Angela Issajenko, a sprinter who competed for Canada at the 1984 Olympics, holds Francis in high regard.
"Charlie was the most amazing person in the world to me," Issajenko said in an e-mail.
"I want to hold on to the amazing memories and cherish them."
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/sabotage+victim+Johnson+says/3083961/Johnson+former+coach+loses+battle+with+cancer/3022059/story.html#ixzz0pKb4o1BY