I’ve been out of the loop the last few days due to some work issues and didn’t hear the very sad news until just now that the great Olympic speed coach, Charlie Francis had lost his battle with cancer and died at the age of 61 last week.
Unfortunately, many uneducated people and those in the mainstream will always associate Charlie with Ben Johnson getting popped for steroids at the ’88 Olympics in Seoul. Those in the know understand that every athlete in that race was on performance enhancing drugs and that Ben getting caught took nothing away from Charlie’s skills as a coach. The full story is detailed in Charlie’s book, Speed Trap and Ben Johnson’s side of the story can be heard in the great documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster.
Charlie was, in my opinion, the greatest speed coach that ever lived and was a huge influence on people like myself, Joe DeFranco, James Smith of Pitt, Sal Alosi of the New York Jets, and countless other coaches. If you know how to get athletes faster you most likely have Charlie to thank for that. If you don’t you should have been studying his methods. I owe much of my success to Charlie’s teachings and thank him for the profound impact he had on my career.
This is a great loss for the strength and conditioning world and he will be missed. Although he is gone, his teachings will live on forever.
Thanks, Charlie.
Rest in peace.
24. May, 2010
at 9:36 am #
Great post as always Jay, thanks for sharing…
24. May, 2010
at 9:16 pm #
Great post…I checked out his website and got some great info. Thanks for sharing this…
25. May, 2010
at 10:27 am #
I’m not sure people realize how much of a genius Charlie Francis was. His name will always be attached to the ’88 Olympic steroid scandal before anything else.
But the truth is he took a country more famous for hockey and other winter sports and put them on the track and field map. The guy was a visionary noticing an influx of Carribean athletes seeking a better life in a “westernized” country and turned them (and Canada) into into a force to be reckoned with on the track scene.
The man may be gone, but his methods in speed training should be his legacy.
02. Jun, 2010
at 5:13 pm #
He was an absolute genius. When it came to speed and explosive training he was the master.
02. Jun, 2010
at 7:37 pm #
He will be missed for sure. He has helped more than just track athletes over the years. It is nice to see people gime him a positive shout out.
28. Sep, 2010
at 9:47 am #
His passing was scarcely mentioned in the media up here in Canada. That’s how completely the country turned its back on him after the Ben Johnson debacle of 1988. It’s a shame.
07. Nov, 2010
at 6:06 am #
A great contributor to the strength and conditioning world. Thanks for everything Charlie!