Sprinter De Grasse switches coaches, now trains in Florida
FLORIDA: Triple Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse has selected well-known trainer Rana Reider as his new coach and moved to Florida where the Canadian is working to rekindle his sprinting career.
“The focus is completely on Doha with the aim on getting to the podium in both the 100m and 200m,” De Grasse, in an email to Reuters, said of his goals for the 2019 world championships.
His past two seasons curtailed by injuries while training in Arizona, the 24-year-old said he made the switch after learning the highly respected Reider was returning to the United States.
The versatile coach, an American, had been working in the Netherlands for several years, mentoring a cast of world class athletes including U.S. two-time Olympic triple jump gold medallist Christian Taylor and Dutch 200m world champion Dafne Schippers.
Previously the 48-year-old Reider worked as a national coach with British sprinters after an extended U.S. collegiate career.
“I have been acquainted with Rana over the years and when I heard he was making the move back to the States, my manager reached out and set up a meeting,” De Grasse said.
Now based in Jacksonville, Florida, the sprinter trains at the University of North Florida with Reider’s group.
“It has only been a few weeks so far but I feel really good about the training and the direction we are moving,” De Grasse said.
His silver medal in the 200m and bronzes in the 100m and 4x100m relay for Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics had led many to believe he would become one of the next sprint stars. — Reuters