Running For Cover

The relationship between tarnished Canadian coach Charlie Francis and the First Couple of U.S. track, sprinters Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, ended last week, according to all three. The trio claim that in their 10 weeks together Francis, who once ran Ben Johnson's steroid program, made enough changes in Jones's and Montgomery's techniques to make the fastest woman and man in the world even faster. "I've seen a big difference," says Francis, "particularly with Marion, on some things at the end of her races."

It better have done the two sprinters some good, because it also did a lot of harm to their reputations. Jones miscalculated in assuming she could escape criticism for training under Francis, who was banned from coaching Canadian national team members after Johnson tested positive for steroids at the 1988 Olympics and was stripped of the 100-meter gold medal. Jones seemed disingenuous in her only public comments on the matter, telling the Los Angeles Times last week that she was just 12 in 1988 and thus couldn't be expected to understand the ramifications of working with Francis. In the past Jones has often talked of her vivid memories of the '84 and '88 Games.

Jones and Montgomery were uncommonly cold in firing their former coach, Trevor Graham, who had trained Jones since 1997 and helped her win five Olympic medals. Montgomery began working with the coach in the fall of 1999 and credited Graham with turning him from a good sprinter into the 100-meter world-record holder. In November, however, Graham says Jones fired him with a terse letter telling him his services were no longer required. The letter arrived shortly after the death of his 19-year-old son, Ian, in a Florida traffic accident.

"I was shocked [by the letter]," says Graham. "Look at Maurice [Greene]; he had a bad year last year, but he didn't leave [longtime coach] John Smith. But that's coaching, and that's business. I won't say anything bad. Maybe they'll come back someday."

For now Jones and Montgomery are looking for a coach. It may be naive to think that they will never seek training advice from Francis, who consults with athletes in many sports. "When I began working with Marion and Tim, I was concerned that it might go this way Francis says. "It was a privilege to work with these people for even a short time. But this is the way things are."

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