Overview
- MVP Track & Field Club confirmed that Stephen Francis died late Saturday at age 64 and did not disclose a cause of death.
- Francis co-founded MVP in 1999 and led the club to become a premier training center that developed multiple Olympic champions and world record holders.
- Top athletes he coached, including Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, posted emotional tributes that recalled his long-term technical guidance and personal bonds.
- MVP president Bruce James, Prime Minister Andrew Holness and World Athletics issued statements praising Francis for keeping elite talent in Jamaica and raising coaching standards.
- Francis received the Order of Jamaica in 2017 for his work, and his death may prompt questions about leadership at MVP and the future of Jamaica’s homegrown coaching model.