Wilson: Roach will fly high
Maurice Wilson, coach of Sprintec Track Club, said that he is hoping to reignite the career of talented sprinter Kimmari Roach, who made the switch from the Racers Track Club last year.
The 27-year-old Roach opened his season in impressive fashion, on his way to winning the men’s 60m in 6.59 seconds at the Central Hurdles and Relays Meet at the GC Foster College last Saturday.
Wilson told STAR Sports that Roach, who has been bothered by a series of injuries over the past three years, has shown improvement since his return to the track.
“The mantra of Sprintec Track Club is to assist those who have been forgotten somewhere along the line, and I think that Roach has been out for maybe two, three years,” said Wilson.
BETTER THIS SEASON
“I think that he has been making tremendous progress in a very short time, and I am hoping that he is one of those athletes we can assist in doing much better this season,” Wilson said. Wilson added that he is hoping that Roach will be among the athletes from his club who will be selected for this year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships, which will be held in Birmingham, England from March 1 to 4.
Roach, who was a finalist at the 2014 World Indoor Championships, has a personal best time of 6.55 seconds in the 60m. He also holds a personal best time of 10.12 in the 100m.
Meanwhile, Wilson said that he is yet to decide whether World Championships 400m bronze medallist Ristananna Tracey will be ready in time for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
“The transition for a shorter season has been very difficult because of a couple of factors, but we are hopeful,” said Wilson. “But if she is not ready, then we will be honest because we are all professionals and we will let the authorities know that she is not available,” he said.
“She is the type of person that works extremely hard and so it depends on how she improves in the next two months,” Wilson noted.