Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the second-fastest woman in history. Elaine Thompson-Herah grew into a 5x Olympic gold medalist, while Asafa Powell rose to become a world record holder.  Much of their success can be traced back to one man: Coach Stephen Francis, who passed away on July 4, leaving the track world in mourning. One Olympic champion believes that his contribution deserves much more than just a tribute and is pressing for the coach to be given a state funeral.

During a July 9 appearance on Mr. Analyst host Leighton Levy’s YouTube podcast, Donovan Bailey was asked about Francis’ impact on the sport. Bailey did not hold back in describing the magnitude of the loss. “First of all, my condolences to his family. This is probably one of the biggest and most monumental losses in track and field, period,” Bailey said.

The Canadian sprint legend admitted that he struggled to think of another individual who had influenced the sport on such a massive scale. Bailey also reflected on the few interactions he had with Francis over the years, saying, “I understand the relationship between his athletes and himself because I have the same relationship with my coach Dan Pfaff,” Bailey said.

Perhaps the strongest praise came when Bailey pointed to what he considered Francis’ greatest achievement. “Every single athlete that went to him improved. Every single athlete. Isn’t that a legacy? Every athlete that went to this man improved, and every athlete that trained under this man probably became a better man or woman and a better person.”

Bailey then made a powerful statement about how Jamaica should honor the coaching icon. “This guy deserves a state funeral… He’s someone that’s impacted the world of track and field. Yes, Jamaica is the epicenter of that, but for sure, this is a huge loss.” His comments were not just about Francis’ accomplishments, but about the countless athletes whose careers were transformed under his guidance.

The coach who saw greatness before anyone else

One of the best examples was Elaine Thompson-Herah. Long before she became one of the fastest women in history, she was far from a sure bet. Unlike many of Jamaica’s sprint stars, Thompson-Herah was not viewed as a teenage sensation. Her best finish at Jamaica’s famous Boys and Girls Championships was fourth in the Class Two 100m in 12.01 seconds. She even missed her final year of competition because of disciplinary issues.

While others saw an athlete with modest results, Stephen Francis saw untapped potential. Believing she could achieve far more than she had shown, Francis brought Thompson-Herah into MVP Track Club. The transition was not easy. She battled injuries during her early years in the program and struggled to produce the performances expected of a future world-class sprinter.

In 2014, he had a direct conversation with Thompson-Herah, telling her that, “He told me I could do better in training and that I was not producing the times on the track that I should be.”  The approach worked. Thompson-Herah’s confidence grew, her performances improved, and she began translating her training into results. Within a short time, she broke the 11-second barrier in the 100 meters and won a gold medal in the 100m and a silver in the 200m at the 2015 World Championships.

She later became a five-time Olympic gold medalist and ran 10.54 seconds in the 100m. Francis worked a similar magic with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. When she joined MVP Track Club in 2006, she was a gifted young sprinter, but far from the finished product she would later become. Francis recognized her speed and spent years refining her technique, focusing on her starts, acceleration, sprint mechanics, and overall race execution.

The results were extraordinary. Just two years after joining MVP, Fraser-Pryce captured Olympic gold in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Games. She later added another Olympic 100m title, multiple world championships, and established herself as one of the greatest female sprinters of all time.

That was Stephen Francis’ greatest gift as a coach. He saw possibilities where others saw limitations. Time and again, he identified talent before the rest of the world noticed and helped athletes become far more than they ever imagined possible.