On the road to Rio de Janeiro 2016, a number of the world’s top athletes prepare for the Olympic Games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.
Brooks Johnson, the 2010 USATF Coach of the Year, trains both Olympic medalists and hopefuls, including 2008 gold medalist LaShawn Merrit, 2012 silver medalist Jason Richardson, and 2008 gold medalist April Holmes.
Quick Hits on Athletes Training with Johnson:
LaShawn Merritt(200 and 400 meters) – Merritt took home gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when he won the 400-meter dash and was a part of the team that won the 4×400-meter relay. Merritt also has 11 World Championships medals, 8 of which are gold.
Jason Richardson (110m hurdles, 400m hurdles) – Richardson took home silver in the 2012 London Olympics when he finished second in the 110-meter hurdles. Prior to that, he took home the gold in the 2011 World Championships (110m hurdles), as well as in the 2003 World Youth Championships (110m hurdles, 400m hurdles).
April Holmes (100, 200 and 400 meters) – Holmes is the reigning Paralympics world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 meter sprints. She is also the Paralympic 100-meter gold medalist (2008) and the first female athlete to be signed by the Michael Jordan apparel brand.
Coach Brooks Johnson – Arguably the foremost track coach in the world; former U.S. Olympic track head coach, Nike Coach of the Year (2010); has trained an athlete at every Olympic Games since 1968, including Evelyn Ashford, Chandra Cheeseborough, David Oliver, Justin Gatlin; once coached vice president Al Gore and senator Ted Kennedy in high school; holds a law degree (Univ of Chicago Law School) and once taught cultural anthropology.