Jana Pittman in action (© Getty Images Allsport)
22 July 2002Jana Pittman shocked the athletics community yesterday by dropping the coach who guided her to the world No.2 ranking and two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester only three weeks ago.
The respected Australian Institute of Sport coach Craig Hilliard has become a casualty of the juggernaut Pittman who is riding towards the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
“Hill's done a lot for me. He's a great coach,'' Pittman told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
The Manchester 400m hurdles winner who then blazed 50.2-second to anchor the 4x400m relay to victory explained: “I'm not leaving because I'm unhappy but I need more. I'm a really selfish athlete.
“It's two years away from the Olympics and I need to find two seconds in the hurdles. I'm leaving nothing for compromise, nothing to chance.”
In a stunning move, the Sydney teenager has instead lured Victorian Phil King out of retirement to direct her drive for a gold medal in the Olympic 400m hurdles.
King is the husband and coach of Debbie Flintoff-King who won 400m hurdles gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, silver at the 1987 Rome World Championships and gold at the 1982 Brisbane and 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. He was also Australia's athletics head coach in 1995 and 1996.
And Debbie, who facilitated discussion about the coaching switch, has also agreed to take on a more formal mentoring role with the exciting Pittman.
“She's so much like me in so many ways,” said Flintoff-King, still the Australian women's record holder.
“It was Rohan Robinson (Pittman's partner and Australian 400m hurdles record holder) who contacted Phil to start with, to get Phil onto a committee to help Jana get ready for the next Olympics.
“But I knew as soon as they came to see us what they were on about - even if they didn't know it themselves.
“I cut to it: ‘You want Phil to coach you, don't you?’
”While they both looked down and said nothing, I said, look, I'll tell you a little secret. I know Phil would love to do it as well.
“Then when Phil said, ‘yeah I would like to', Jana nearly fell off her chair.”
Geography may present an additional hurdle for Pittman who, with Robinson, bought a house near the AIS in Canberra only three months ago. They are keen to remain there.
But the appeal to Pittman of King is that he is a passionate 24hrs seven days a week hands-on coach. And he has learned coaching by telephone doesn't work.
“I've requested they relocate to Melbourne. I can't coach by correspondence,” King said.
“I'm dusting off some coaching cobwebs. But coaching Jana is just such an exciting opportunity.”
King assessed the time from October to February was crucial to her physical development and if they could work face to face at least during that period the results would follow.
King is a successful businessman, having built and operated four swimming complexes in Victoria with expansion plans for a further six, including one in Sydney in partnership with the Forbes Carlile organisation.
Flintoff-King commented: “In a way it's worked out really well because Phil, as busy as he is, won't be able to get to every session, and Rohan's involvement is going to be fantastic.
“Rohan will be like an assistant coach and another male to be a training partner. It's exactly what Jana needs.”
Pittman said she plans to spend at least a third of her year training directly with King, adding: “I'll bend over backwards and tear my leg off to win that Olympic medal.
“I couldn't possibly have a better team around me now. I think this is the best decision I've made in my life.''
She was relieved that Australia's current head coach Keith Connor mediated when she broke the crushing news to Hilliard who had taken her to No 2 in the world since he started coaching her a year ago.
Hilliard admitted: “Obviously you're shocked but you've got to respect the athlete's wishes and if they think that's what they have to do to go the next step then that's what they've got to do.
“I'm proud to have played an integral part in her development. I wish her well.”
Pittman's next major race will be for the Oceania regional team in the 400m hurdles at the IAAF World Cup in Madrid.