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Following his shocking choice to leave his college coach Carl Lewis for Richard Kilty, Great Britain's new speed king Louie Hinchliffe has opened up on his decision.
Britain's new speedster Louie Hinchliffe was one of the breakout stars of the 2024 season, having dominated the US collegiate circuit and was part of Great Britain's bronze medal-winning 4x100m at the Paris Olympics.
The 22-year-old made a monumental leap this year by clocking 9.95s to become the first European winner of the NCAA 100m title and only narrowly missed out on the Olympic final.
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Trained by nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, who guided him to his 2024 season exploits, it became a surprise when Hinchliffe made the bold decision to turn pro post-Olympics and leave Lewis for a new coach Richard Kilty - at 35 years, climaxed his career at the Paris Olympics after being a member of Great Britain's 4x100m squad and has been on every major international podium.
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Following the youngster's choice and with so many questions centered on his decision to leave a world-renowned coach to continue his blossoming career under a less-experienced one, Hinchliffe has now broken his silence on the situation.
In an exclusive interview with theguardian.com, the British 100m champion revealed Lewis asked him to return to his studies and not forego his college career, warning him: “Leaving early and turning pro is fool’s gold in track.”
But Hinchliffe’s didn't buy the idea. “It’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to be a professional athlete,” he said. “I could have stayed in school and possibly got that degree, but is it something I’m passionate about? No. I was the NCAA champion so there wasn’t really anything else for me to win there.”
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A few weeks after the Paris Olympics, he turned his back on education: “It felt like the right time. So I took the leap,” added Hinchliffe.
The budding speedster also revealed that Lewis tried to convince him to stay another year to reassess, but his mind was made up.
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“He wished me all the best. There’s no hard feelings at all. Carl taught me a lot and I can’t thank him enough.”
On his new coach, Hinchliffe isn't daunted and has every confidence in him as he took his time, with consideration for a professional training group in America before choosing Kilty.
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“Not at all. I wouldn’t have taken him on if any bit of me was daunted by it or I had any doubt. I’ve got every confidence in him and myself that we’re going to do the business.
“No one seemed to be as passionate as Richard. He knows a lot about the sport,” he continued. “It just felt right. You know what feels right and that felt the best. He hasn’t had any formal coaching experience beyond the locals here but everyone’s got to start somewhere. The best coaches of all time were at that point at one time. I believe it will work.”
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