LEXINGTON. Ky. – Kentucky track and field head coach Edrick Floréal will lead the United States Men’s National Team at the 2015 IAAF World Championships, which begin Saturday, August 22 and continue through Sunday, August 30 in Beijing Olympic Stadium.
Floréal – widely considered one of the top coaches in the sport, especially when it comes to mentoring elite competitors and training horizontal jumpers, hurdlers and sprinters – will be the head coach of Team USA for the first time in his career.
“Our preparation was almost perfect,” Floréal said in a USA Track and Field press conference in Beijing on Friday. “You always hope for things to go the way you want them to. I think the team is well prepared. They’re on top of their games and were meticulous in their preparation and training. Our medical staff did an outstanding job to make sure they were ready.”
While his primary responsibility will be keeping the American men on track – no pun intended, he will also serve as coach, trainer and mentor for Kentucky standout and Bowerman Award Finalist Kendra Harrison. The now alumnus, who earned her spot on Team USA in June while she was still competing as a collegian, is considered a medal contender in one of the meet’s most anticipated events – the 100-meter hurdles.
In that event Team USA has medal contenders across the board. The three fastest women in the field are USATF champion and 2008 Olympic Gold and 2012 Silver Medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson and Sharika Nelvis and NCAA hurdles champion and USATF silver medalist Kendra Harrison. And that doesn’t include reigning World Champion Brianna Rollins.
Dezerea Bryant is in the 4x100m relay pool, and her fellow Wildcat alum – Rondel Sorrillo – will compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay for Trinidad and Tobago. Bryant – a two-time NCAA 200m Champion – and Sorrillo – the 2010 NCAA 200m Champion — were de facto training partners this spring.
Floréal served as an assistant coach on the 2012 Olympic Team’s men’s jumps and combined events, helping athletes capture six medals – two gold – in London.
Under Floréal’s direction, Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee went 1-2, capturing the gold and silver medals in the men’s decathlon. Eaton claimed gold tallying an overall final score of 8869, with Hardee close behind at 8671.
Floréal also guided two Americans to gold and silver in the men’s triple jump. Christian Taylor took home gold, while fellow American Will Claye followed him with a silver medal. Claye also won bronze in the long jump, while Erik Kynard took silver in the high jump under Floréal’s tutelage.
Floréal served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2002 IAAF World Junior Championships.
Team USA is coming off an impressive performance at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow in 2013, scoring 282 points as a team for the most ever by a U.S. team. Team USA captured 25 medals, tying its second-highest medal output. The U.S. will look to eclipse these marks in 2015.
USATF Press Conference at The Bird’s Nest in Beijing – Aug. 21, 2015
Coach Edrick Floréal
Opening Statement
“Our preparation was almost perfect. You always hope for things to go the way you want them to. I think the team is well prepared. They’re on top of their games and were meticulous in their preparation and training. Our medical staff did an outstanding job to make sure they were ready. The people in Japan did a fantastic job; they treated us like royalty. Our team benefited greatly from that. Relay practice has been tremendous. The baton has been going all the way around, which is the way we like it. We’re pretty pleased with our preparation and arrival. Everything went well. Everyone is in great spirits, all are happy and healthy.”
On training in Narita and traveling to Beijing
“We arrived in different groups. Some are still arriving, so we are not all completely here yet. It’s based on when people are competing, so they are arriving in waves and that’s good. We want to make sure that athletes arrive in a timely fashion, so they can take advantage of the preparation for their competitions, and we kind of get them mentally prepared to do that.”
On how relays decisions are made
“We have input but the relay coach has the final say on the order and personnel also, even though we work as a team and collaborate greatly to make sure we all see the same thing. The ultimate last decision on the order is on Coach Mitchell.”
Kentucky Athletes Timetable
Women’s 100H – Kendra Harrison
|
Round
|
DAY
|
Time (ET)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Heats
|
THURSDAY
27 AUGUST 2015
|
1:15p.m.
(26 AUG)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Semi-Final
|
FRIDAY
28 AUGUST 2015
|
07:25
a.m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final
|
FRIDAY
28 AUGUST 2015
|
09:35
a.m.
|
|
|
|
|
Broadcast Schedule
|
Date
|
Time
(ET)
|
Network
|
Session
|
Key
Events
|
|
Friday, Aug. 21
|
7:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Day
|
Men’s marathon
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 22
|
3 p.m.
|
NBC, Live Extra
|
Evening
|
M100m heats, M10,000m
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 22
|
8:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Day
|
M400m heats, W100m heats
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 23
|
1 p.m.
|
NBC, Live Extra
|
Evening
|
M100m final
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 23
|
9:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Morning
|
W400m heats
|
|
Monday, Aug. 24
|
7 a.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Evening
|
W100m final
|
|
Tuesday, Aug. 25
|
7 a.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Evening
|
M800m, W1500m finals
|
|
Tuesday, Aug. 25
|
9:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Morning
|
M110m hurdles heats
|
|
Wednesday, Aug. 26
|
8 a.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Evening
|
M400m final
|
|
Wednesday, Aug. 26
|
9:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Day
|
W100m hurdles heats
|
|
Thursday, Aug. 27
|
7:30 a.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Evening
|
W400m final, M200m final
|
|
Thursday, Aug. 27
|
8:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Day
|
Decathlon
|
|
Friday, Aug. 28
|
7 a.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Evening
|
W200m, W/M 100m/110m hurdles
|
|
Friday, Aug. 28
|
7:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Morning
|
Decathlon
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 29
|
2:30 p.m.
|
NBC, Live Extra
|
Evening
|
Decathlon, 4x100m relays
|
|
Saturday, Aug. 29
|
7:30 p.m.
|
Universal Sports
|
Morning
|
Women’s marathon
|
|
Sunday, Aug. 30
|
2 p.m.
|
NBC, Live Extra
|
Evening
|
4x400m relays
|
