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Canada’s Brendon Rodney joins staff of a Jamaica college

Rodney is following up his Olympic 4 x 100m gold by taking on the role of assistant athletics director at G.C. Foster College of Sport in Spanish Town

Brendon Rodney Photo by: Nick Iwanyshyn

Fresh off his gold medal win as part of the Canadian 4 x 100 men’s relay team at the Paris Olympics, sprinter Brendon Rodney has taken on a new role that takes him back to his roots. Rodney (who was born in Toronto, but whose parents are Jamaican) has been appointed assistant athletics director at G.C. Foster College of Sport in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

As one of Canada’s top sprinters, Rodney also earned silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as gold at the 2022 world championships in Eugene, Ore., both in the 4 x 100 men’s relay.

4x100m relay team
Brendon Rodney hands the baton to Andre De Grasse in the men’s 4x100m relay final at Paris 2024. Photo: Mark Blinch

From track to classroom

Rodney trains in Jamaica under the guidance of coach Maurice Wilson, who has represented Jamaica at the Olympics and world championships as a coach, head coach and technical director. Over the past year, Rodney has not only honed his sprinting skills on the island, but has also contributed to the academic community by teaching courses at the college. Earlier this year, he partnered with the Canadian High Commission in Kingston to donate scholarships to students in need through the Brendon Rodney Foundation.

Canadians sprint to Olympic gold in 4x100m relay

Rodney’s new role, effective Aug. 18, will have him oversee the multi-disciplinary development of students, ensuring the college’s sports teams, coaches and facilities adhere to the highest standards. He will also play a crucial role in recruiting and managing student-athletes, as well as overseeing the disbursement of scholarships.

A graduate of Sheridan College in Oakville, Ont., Rodney also holds a master’s degree in exercise science from Long Island University in New York. “G.C. Foster has become an important part of my sprint journey, and I am thrilled to be able to enrich the academic lives of students here through sharing my skills and my experience,” Rodney said.

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