Kirani James is now a Crimson Tide. The 17-year-old Grenadian and reigning World Youth 200m (21.05 secs) and 400m (45.24 secs) champion, has enrolled into the University of Alabama and will be competing in this Indoor track season.
James became the first youth athlete to complete a 200m/400m double gold at the 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships. Competing at the CARIFTA Games for the third time in 2009 and for the first time in the Under-20 division, James ran a scorching 45.45 to erase Usain Bolt’s six-year-old championship record of 46.35.
At the University of Alabama, James will be coached by Harvey Glance, who was the head coach of the USA’s 2009 Berlin World Championships team and the sprint coach of the USA’s 2008 Beijing Olympic men’s track team.
Glance said “Kirani visited three schools: South Carolina University, Florida State University and the University of Alabama. Our coaching staff met with Kirani and his family and they have decided that this [University of Alabama] was the best place for him to get him to the next level.”
Glance also said, “Kirani has been training and will participate indoors but we are going to bring him along slowly. We plan on having him run the relays at first just to get him used to the indoor.”
Harvey Glance is a former world-class sprinter. A 16-time All-American and three-time Olympian, the 1976 Olympic 4x100m gold medal winner is entering his 13th season as the head coach of the University of Alabama men’s track team. -Edited by Desmond Palmer