By Neto Baptiste
National sprinter Cejhae Greene had reaffirmed confidence in US-based coach Henry Rolle and believes his times will improve going forward.
Greene’s remarks came amidst questions regarding his form following his exit from the 100 meters events at the Commonwealth Games last week when he clocked 10.45 seconds to finish eighth in the first semifinal heat in Birmingham, England.
“I am happy with where I am at because it’s my second year with coach, Henry Rolle. He has gotten me to run faster but it takes time to adjust to a new system. A lot of people don’t realise I’ve only been with coach Rolle for two years, as last year was my first year. A lot of people go through longer patches before they get faster or before they even get back to where they were when they switch coaches,” he said.
In July, Greene missed out on a spot in the semifinal of the 100 meters at the World Championships held in Eugene, Oregon after clocking a respectable 10.17 seconds to finish fourth in the opening heat.
The Antiguan said that although he understands and welcomes the concerns of his supporters and the public at large, he is confident in the programme his coach has designed for him.
“We know our plan; we know what we have been doing in the background. When most people voice these opinions, it’s really because they want to see you do well in the grand scheme of things and you as an athlete understand that. [However] you’ve been doing the background work, you’ve been working with your coach, you know what you’re capable of, your coach knows what you’re capable of and you know what mistakes you’re making. It’s not an easy fix as just switching your coach or tweaking just one thing. It’s a little bit more technical than it may seem,” he said.
Greene, who left Birmingham for the USA following his exit from the games, said he will meet with coach Rolle before returning to Europe for the start of the Diamond League.