It is gross negligence to ignore the coaches who helped bring Usain Bolt to stardom.

Yes, Glen Mills may perhaps be a good athletics coach getting all the accolades, but it was Usain's school coaches who stood tirelessly in the heat of the sun and moulded him into what he is today.

Mr Mills just reaped the finishing touches of Bolt that stunned the world. A world-record man could not be built in a few months prior to an Olympic event such as Beijing.

Bolt school's coaches did it all and, Mr Editor, it grieves me to the bone not seeing even one of his past high-school coaches receive the accolades and appointments Glen Mills have received.

Bolt's school athletic coaches should have received free travel to Beijing as well, revealing to the world that Bolt was created around his rural school's dirt track and mediocre weight-lifting pro-grammes, from cricketer to world-class sprinter. Where was Glen Mills then?

I have attended Boys and Girls championships for years. I have seen Bolt's stunning 200-metre record run. Glen Mills was not there at his side.

Where are the coaches?

It was the hard work put up by his school's coaching team, on the track, giving advice and even treating minor pulls and strains with ice and light training if Bolt and his fellow school's track team required it. After each night of gruelling athletic events at the National Stadium, they all returned to Trelawny by bus travelling miles, very tired.

Where are Bolt school coaches who built him? Put some medals around the necks of his alma mater coaches and weightlifting trainers there too. They deserve the limelight as well.

I am, etc.,

DELROY R. LAWRENCE

fortis-forever@hotmail.com