Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

Left: Darrel Brown.   Right: Asafa Powell

Trinidad and Tobago's 2003 World Championships 100 metres silver medallist, Darrel Brown, is set to join the world 100m record holder Asafa Powell at the MVP Track Club at the start of the new season.

Brown, the World Junior 100m record holder at 10.01 seconds, is scheduled to arrive in the island in October to start training with Stephen Francis at the University of Technology (UTech)-based camp, which houses Powell and 2005 World Championships 100m silver medallist Michael Frater, and Commonwealth Games sprint relay gold medallist Ainsley Waugh.

Bruce James, president of MVP Track Club, confirmed that Brown is set to join the camp soon.

"There has been an arrangement for Brown to join the camp," said James. "I think it will be in October," James added.

In an interview with The Gleaner yesterday from Auburn, Brown said he is looking forward to work with coach Francis.

He said his main objectives are to "stay healthy" and "to get back to where I think I should be, in the top five of the world 100m list."

Brown's former coach, Bahamian Henry Rolle, the man who coached him to World Championship told the Trinidad Express he believes the 21-year-old sprinter made the right decision.

Rolle said Brown's decision to switch training base from Auburn, Alabama to Kingston, Jamaica is the best one.

"I was asked to work with Darrel, and I told him I would guide him to a point where I felt I could not take him any further, and then I would send him to the place that is best for him.

"I don't have an ego," the Bahamian coach continued, "and regardless of public perception, I know when I can't reach an individual."

Rolle said that while many top coaches were keen to work with Brown, Francis is the one he believes can help the T&T sprint star maximise his potential.

Respect

"I know Francis and I have full respect for him. He and (another Jamaican) Glen Mills are the only coaches I felt comfortable with. Francis has a contract to work exclusively with Nike athletes, and since Darrel is contracted to Nike, Francis was the obvious choice."

Rolle, who coaches Jamaicans Keron Stewart, Anneisha McLaughlin, Vonette Dixon, Tracey-Ann Rowe, and Jovane Jarrett, said, he will be working very closely with Francis in the future.

World Championships 100m hurdles bronze medallist Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Olympic relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson, and World Junior 400m hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer are some of the top Jamaican athletes who are under the guidance of Francis and his brother, Paul, at MVP.