Sport

Frater ready for fast time

By LEIGHTON LEVY, STAR Writer

Michael Frater - file

PAN AMERICAN 100-metre champion Michael Frater has only one plan for the national trials this weekend and that is to run faster than he has ever run before.

"My first objective is to PR at the national trials, hopefully getting below the 10-second barrier, and then hopefully throughout the season to be consistently below or just above the 10-second barrier and making it to the finals of the world championships," he says.

The 22-year-old former Wolmerian has even bigger objectives for the future.

"The ultimate objective is to be the fastest, being able to win an Olympic gold medal, wanting to be the fastest man alive. You can't put limits on yourself," he says.

The fact that he trains with the man who now holds the title of world's fastest man, gives this five-time all-American sprinter, a first hand view of what it takes to get there and he believes he has what it takes to realise that goal.

"He lets you realise that you can achieve your goals. It's always back to the U.S., everybody from the U.S. is always winning, it brings you back to the reality that Jamaicans can do it too. All you have to do is believe in yourself and once you do that you can do whatever you want."

Having run a personal best 10.03 seconds on June 14, in the same race that Asafa Powell became the fastest man that ever lived, Frater says that while he still has some way to go, he sees similarities between himself and Powell.

"I am not close to where Asafa is right now. Asafa has been running on the circuit for a little while now, this is my first full year. I have been taught one technique most of my life and the technique has evolved and I am just getting to where Asafa was in 2002/2003. All I have to do is work at it. Coach (Stephen) Francis is a very, very, very, very good coach and he knows what he is doing and with him helping me I should be able to achieve my goals."

Long standing relationship

Frater and Francis have had a long standing relationship. Francis coached him and his brother 1996 and 2000 Olympian Lindel Frater, when they attended Wolmer's Boys. And even though he has been influenced by Mark Stratton his coach at Texas Christian University (TCU), Francis' hold on him is even more significant.

"Coach Francis and I have a good relationship because we're coming all the way from Wolmer's. I don't know one other coach who believes in me as much and that is what he instills in his athletes, he can get them to believe certain things and once that happens, you can't stop."

Frater, who is a political science major at TCU, thinks that with the talent that Jamaica sends to the major track meets, the country should be having greater success in the relays. He believes that for this to happen, certain things have to be in place.

"If they can organise a relay camp and get everybody involved, instead of trying to formulate something at the games, we should be able to give the Americans a good run because we have always had the talent but its just that we have never been able to put it together."