Having dominated the 400m hurdles for years, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone boasts two Olympic golds and two World Championship titles. But her reign, despite the dominance, hasn’t come without challengers. Dutch hurdler Femke Bol pushed her hard, while Jamaican standout Janieve Russell remained a consistent presence in the field. Now, as Sydney transitions from hurdles to the flat 400m and Bol makes it official about her 800m dreams, Russell is also evolving, not on the track, but in the gym.

Representing the MVP Track Club in Jamaica, Janieve Russell had been training at home to showcase her talent on the international stage. But things are shifting quickly. In a recent conversation, Coach Desk TV shared some startling news. Why the concern? Because Russell has decided to train in the USA instead of staying with her club, MVP Track Club. “We have two bit of information that we want to share with you. First one is Janieve Russell. Yeah, we understand that Jenny Russell has left the MVP Track Club,” said the host.

He further added, “She is no longer at the MVP Track Club, and she will, from the information that we are getting, will reside in the United States and she’ll be working out at a new location.” Russell competed just nine times this season and was notably absent from Jamaica’s World Championships roster. The 31-year-old, a Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist and three-time World Championship silver medalist in the 4×400m relay, has been struggling recently to maintain consistency in her performances after injury.

“She has you know been affected by injuries and it possibly would have caused her to not being able to perform to her optimal best, wanting of a better term. Yeah. But I mean she has still been fighting. And she has been showing up at national trials,” continued the host.

Russell appears to be at a crossroads in her career this season. Her season-best of 56.58 seconds in the 400m hurdles, clocked at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex on August 16, 2025, contrasts sharply with her personal best of 53.08 seconds from Tokyo 2021. Earlier, at the London Diamond League on July 19, she finished 8th in 1:00.55.

With performances dipping, securing a spot on the national team has become an uphill battle; she was not selected to represent Jamaica at the World Championships.

She’s showing up, but the question remains: will her efforts pay off? “She has been doing the 400 meters and the 400-meter hurdles and trying to make the teams. But I think it has probably reached a point in her career now where she decides that it is time for her to get out of Jamaica, get out of MVP, the club that would have brought her to prominence,” said the Host. With her track career becoming increasingly challenging amid rising competition, Russell might be planning a comeback by training in the U.S.

However, there’s another twist: the MVP Track Club appears to be facing an exodus.

Janieve Russell is not the only one leaving the MVP track club

Janieve Russell is the latest name to join the growing list of athletes bidding farewell to the MVP Track Club this season, signaling a major shake-up in Jamaica’s athletics scene. Among the notable departures is World U20 100m silver medallist Serena Cole, who has joined the Swept Track and Field Club under coach Okeile Stewart.

Another big name, Tajay Gayle, Jamaica’s world-class long jumper, also parted ways with MVP, moving to the Ricketts Performance Track Club after what he called an “honest conversation” with coach Stephen Francis about his future development.

The ripple effect actually began back in 2021 when Jamaica’s double Olympic sprint champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, parted ways with the MVP Track Club. She revealed that the club’s group-based training approach no longer aligned with her individual performance goals. Since then, a steady exodus of top-tier athletes has followed, each departing for their own reasons, leaving MVP at the center of a changing Jamaican athletics landscape.

With a number of prominent names leaving the Stephen Francis-founded club, does this show a bigger picture about the state of professional track and field in Jamaica? What are your thoughts on this? Share your opinion in the comments below.