Craig Pickering – former Olympic sprinter, Winter Olympian in bobsleigh, sport scientist, and now Director of Performance Sustainability at Athletics Australia – joins the show to unpack what it takes to build a world-class sprint and relay system. He shares insights on athlete transitions, skill acquisition, and the systems driving Australia’s sprint resurgence.

We explore his journey from elite athlete to high-performance leader, how Australia has built depth and buy-in across its relay program, and why “training in chaos” has become central to his coaching philosophy. Craig also speaks on data-driven decision making, performance support, and the innovation shaping the next era of Australian athletics.

Topics:

• 0:02 – Craig’s journey from elite athlete to high-performance leader
• 5:25 – Injury setbacks, transitions, and entering the sport science world
• 9:27 – Moving to Australia & shaping Athletics Australia’s performance pathway
• 10:39 – Why Australian men’s sprinting is rising
• 13:51 – Building relay culture, buy-in, and structuring effective camps
• 24:10 – Relay coaching philosophy & the value of training under chaos
• 35:17 – Skill acquisition, decision-making & performance under pressure
• 40:50 – The evolving role of the modern coach and performance support
• 51:28 – Pathways Transition Program & developing future athletes
• 52:52 – Research, innovation & the next frontier for Australian athletics

Support the show

Marco Airale has been one of the fastest-rising elite sprint coaches of the past five years — and one of the youngest — guiding athletes like Reece Prescod, Andre De Grasse, Daryll Neita, Amy Hunt and others to fast times and global medals. With a background in physiotherapy and osteopathy, Marco blends therapy and coaching to maximise performance and keep athletes healthy. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Balancing step length and step frequency for each athlete
• Using intensive tempo to build fitness and resilience
• Managing training load and recovery across the season
• The role of warm-ups in preparing sprinters for peak performance
• Coaching sprinters, hurdlers, and relay athletes at the elite level
• Building and leading an international training group in Italy
• Preparing athletes for multiple rounds at major championships

Follow Marco on Instagram: coach_air_

Support the show

From being a 6 meter pole vaulter back in 2005 to coaching the 2024 Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy and 2023 World Championships bronze medallist Kurtis Marschall, Paul Burgess has transitioned from elite athlete to coach with huge success, particularly over the past 5 years.

That journey, however, hasn’t been totally straightforward. In this episode, you’ll hear real humility from someone who has clearly stayed curious and driven to help his athletes perform at their best. 

We spoke the technical and physical training behind pole vault, specifically as it relates to Kurtis and Nina --- including the key changes that helped them take their performance to the next level. 

Paul outlined his strong belief in a 'less is more' and 'being specific' approach to training. Additionally, he expressed the importance of being adaptable in competition and how he fosters this mentality when it comes to pole selection, run up distances and more. 

If you’d like to get in touch with Paul regarding his coaching services --- such as mentoring, video analyses, programming, and more --- you can find him on Instagram @polevaulthub

Support the show

Eamonn Flanagan is the Head of S&C at the Sport Ireland Institute. In this episode, Eamonn shares deep insights from a career that spans elite Olympic (including track & field), Paralympic, and professional rugby environments. He is very well known for his work on jump or plyometric training with peer-reviewed research, online courses and much more on this form of training. 

We unpack a range of topics including:
-Eamonn's career journey and some key perspective shifts along the way
-Varying physical preparation based on sporting demands
-Coaching and progressing plyometric training
-Technique and adaptations during intense plyometrics like drop jumps and horizontal bounding
-Key considerations when using Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)

Eamonn also discusses collaboration with sport coaches, the importance of shared language, and how to align physical training with sport-specific goals. Whether you’re an track and field coach, S&C, or an athlete, this conversation is a masterclass in practical wisdom and nuanced coaching from someone with a large amount practical and academic experience.

Find Eammon:
-X: https://x.com/EamonnFlanagan
-Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eamon...

Support the show

Joseph Coyne, PhD is the Director of High Performance & Sports Development, Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar and Strength & Conditioning Coach, Elite Sport Program & Swimming, Bond University

Joseph's experience in Track & Field extends far and wide; we dug into his time working with the Chinese athletics federation including his work supporting Olympic-level sprinters and jumpers alongside world-renowned coach Randy Huntington. Joseph shares practical insights on plyometric training, athlete profiling, special strength training, contrast methods, as well as how he adapts his approach across youth, developing, and elite athletes.

Joseph conducted his PhD research on training load at Edith Cowen University in Perth and has also written widely on topics such as plyometrics, strength and power development, and performance testing – with work published on SimpliFaster, Sportsmith, and various peer-reviewed journals. 

There are very few in the sports performance field with the degree of applied and academic experience as Joseph has, so I hope you enjoy this one!

🔗 Explore more of Joseph’s work:

ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph-Coyne
Articles on SimpliFaster: https://simplifaster.com/articles/author/josephcoyne/
Articles on Sportsmith: https://www.sportsmith.co/contributors/joseph-coyne/

Support the show

Dr. Chris Shambrook, is a renowned expert in performance psychology with over five Olympic cycles of experience. In this episode, Chris shares his journey from earning a PhD in sports psychology to working extensively with British Rowing, Olympic athletes, and high-performance teams across various sports and business settings.

We explore the evolving role of sports psychology in elite environments, discussing how athletes and coaches can integrate psychological skills into daily training rather than treating them as separate sessions. Chris explains the challenge vs. threat mindset, the importance of psychological adaptability, and how mental preparation can influence an athlete’s ability to perform under pressure.

Additionally, we dive into the nuances of confidence-building, the balance between outcome-driven and process-focused athletes, and the critical role of self-awareness in long-term success. Chris also shares practical strategies for managing expectations, developing resilience, and maintaining performance consistency across different competition scenarios.

Chris is now focused on applying his expertise in the corporate world through PlanetK2, where he helps individuals and teams develop high-performance mindsets in business environments. You can learn more about his work at PlanetK2.com or access free high-performance resources at The Performance Room.

Tune in for an in-depth discussion on the psychological factors that shape elite athletic performance and how these principles can be applied both in sport and beyond.

Support the show

Athletics New Zealand track and field coach, James Sandilands is mainly known as the coach to the current World Indoor and Olympic champion in the jump, Hamish Kerr, but James's current crop of high level athletes spans far and wide from multi-eventers, sprinters, and horizontal jumpers.

He is a former high jumper and hurdler himself with several years of experience as both a performance technique analyst and a strength and conditioning coach for High Performance Sport New Zealand.

In this episode:
-James' transition from athlete to coach and the pivotal mentors who shaped his path.
-The nuances of coaching at the elite level, balancing technical precision with the art of communication.
-Insights into performance analysis, biomechanics, and their critical roles in enhancing athletic performance.
-The complexities of high jump training, from approach strategies to managing the psychological aspects of competition.
-The collaborative dynamics within a high-performance team and the continuous learning curve of coaching.

Support the show

In this episode, I chatted with Werner Prinsloo, the coach behind South African sprinting sensation Akani Simbine who in his third consecutive Olympic 100m final, at the age of 30, ran a national record of 9.82 seconds to finish fourth place.  

Werner shares his unique journey into coaching, from a corporate career to becoming a full-time coach for one of the world’s most consistent sub-10-second sprinters and his group of aspiring elite sprinters in Johannesburg. 

Key topics include:
-How Werner transitioned from coaching recreational athletes to working with elite sprinters.
-Akani Simbine’s journey from raw talent to global track star, including the pivotal moments and training adjustments that fueled his success.
-The critical role of a strong support team in sustaining elite performance, including strength coaches, physiotherapists, and agents.
-Werner technical approach to sprinting, including block setup, acceleration mechanics, and the importance of repetition in skill-building.
-The value of consistent mentorship, trust-building, and adaptability in coaching.
-Socio-economic challenges faced by many South African athletes and the creative solutions he employs to support and nurture their potential. 

Follow Werner and his group on Instagram @Werner_Prinsloo and @ontrack_sprint

Support the show

Josef Karas is a former Czech International Decathlete and a graduate of Kansas State where he worked under legendary coach Cliff Rovelto.

Since transitioning into coaching, Josef has coached long jumper Radek Juska to 8.31m (NR), gold at the World University Games, Silver at the European Indoor championships and most recently, the Olympic final in Paris. Josef is a well known multi's coach working with 8,000+ point decathletes like Adam Helcelet and current world u-20 champion Tomas Järvinen.

In this episode, he his general preparation phase (GPP), prescribing training for 'workhorses', and adapting technique to the individual athlete.

Josef reflected on the lead up to the Olympics with Radek and how they overcame a very challenging early season that concluded with a spot in the Olympic final.

Follow Josef on Instagram

Episode Sponsor: YMR Track Club - use promo code 'Track20' for 20% off

Support the show

 Glenn Smith is a former Canadian national champion and world championship semi-finalist in the 200m sprint. He holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from the University of Texas at Austin and has nearly 20 years of coaching experience. His expertise spans developing All-American collegiate athletes and international-level competitors in the jumps, throws, multi-events, and sprints.
 
A central theme of this episode was Glenn Smith's coaching philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with athletes, mastering key technical principles, engaging in personal reflection, and structuring training effectively. Additionally, he shared insights into how his jumpers achieved significant performance breakthroughs by adopting new technical solutions to address specific challenges.

Glenn discussed the importance of structuring training to enable the athlete to learn technique - this includes the placement of sessions in a micro cycle and the variations utilised. 

I am lucky to have had Glenn coach me as an athlete and mentor me now as a coach. If you'd like to get in touch with Glenn and avail of his private (in-person and remote) coaching services you can contact via Instagram (here).

Episode Sponsor: YMR Track Club - use promo code 'Track20' for 20% off

Support the show