The Track and Field Performance Podcast

• Craig Pickering: Developing Elite Sprint Relay Teams and High Performance Systems

  Craig Pickering – former Olympic sprinter, Winter Olympian in bobsleigh, sport scientist, and now Director of Performance Sustainability at Athletics Australia – joins the show to unpack what it takes to build a world-class sprint and relay system. He shares insights on athlete transitions, skill acquisition, and the systems driving Australia’s sprint resurgence.We explore his journey from elite athlete to high-performance leader, how Australia has built depth and buy-in across its relay program, and why “training in chaos” has become central to his coaching philosophy. Craig also speaks on data-driven decision making, performance support, and the innovation shaping the next era of Australian athletics.Topics:0:02 – Craig’s journey from elite athlete to high-performance leader5:25 – Injury setbacks, transitions, and entering the sport science world9:27 – Moving to Australia & shaping Athletics Australia’s performance pathway10:39 – Why Australian men’s sprinting is rising13:51 – Building relay culture, buy-in, and structuring effective camps24:10 – Relay coaching philosophy & the value of training under chaos35:17 – Skill acquisition, decision-making & performance under pressure40:50 – The evolving role of the modern coach and performance support51:28 – Pathways Transition Program & developing future athletes52:52 – Research, innovation & the next frontier for Australian athleticsSupport the show

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• Marco Airale | Sprint Mechanics, Intensive Tempo Training, and Warm Ups

  Marco Airale has been one of the fastest-rising elite sprint coaches of the past five years — and one of the youngest — guiding athletes like Reece Prescod, Andre De Grasse, Daryll Neita, Amy Hunt and others to fast times and global medals. With a background in physiotherapy and osteopathy, Marco blends therapy and coaching to maximise performance and keep athletes healthy. In this conversation, we discuss:Balancing step length and step frequency for each athleteUsing intensive tempo to build fitness and resilienceManaging training load and recovery across the seasonThe role of warm-ups in preparing sprinters for peak performanceCoaching sprinters, hurdlers, and relay athletes at the elite levelBuilding and leading an international training group in ItalyPreparing athletes for multiple rounds at major championshipsFollow Marco on Instagram: coach_air_Support the show

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• Paul Burgess: Vaulting from Elite Athlete to World-Class Coach

  From being a 6 meter pole vaulter back in 2005 to coaching the 2024 Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy and 2023 World Championships bronze medallist Kurtis Marschall, Paul Burgess has transitioned from elite athlete to coach with huge success, particularly over the past 5 years.That journey, however, hasn’t been totally straightforward. In this episode, you’ll hear real humility from someone who has clearly stayed curious and driven to help his athletes perform at their best. We spoke the technical and physical training behind pole vault, specifically as it relates to Kurtis and Nina --- including the key changes that helped them take their performance to the next level. Paul outlined his strong belief in a 'less is more' and 'being specific' approach to training. Additionally, he expressed the importance of being adaptable in competition and how he fosters this mentality when it comes to pole selection, run up distances and more. If you’d like to get in touch with Paul regarding his coaching services --- such as mentoring, video analyses, programming, and more --- you can find him on Instagram @polevaulthubSupport the show

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• Eamonn Flanagan: Key Principles Behind Effective Plyometric and Jump Training

  Eamonn Flanagan is the Head of S&C at the Sport Ireland Institute. In this episode, Eamonn shares deep insights from a career that spans elite Olympic (including track & field), Paralympic, and professional rugby environments. He is very well known for his work on jump or plyometric training with peer-reviewed research, online courses and much more on this form of training. We unpack a range of topics including:-Eamonn's career journey and some key perspective shifts along the way-Varying physical preparation based on sporting demands-Coaching and progressing plyometric training-Technique and adaptations during intense plyometrics like drop jumps and horizontal bounding-Key considerations when using Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)Eamonn also discusses collaboration with sport coaches, the importance of shared language, and how to align physical training with sport-specific goals. Whether you’re an track and field coach, S&C, or an athlete, this conversation is a masterclass in practical wisdom and nuanced coaching from someone with a large amount practical and academic experience.Find Eammon:-X: https://x.com/EamonnFlanagan-Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eamon...Support the show

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• Joseph Coyne: Giving the Athlete What They Need When They Need It

  Joseph Coyne, PhD is the Director of High Performance & Sports Development, Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar and Strength & Conditioning Coach, Elite Sport Program & Swimming, Bond UniversityJoseph's experience in Track & Field extends far and wide; we dug into his time working with the Chinese athletics federation including his work supporting Olympic-level sprinters and jumpers alongside world-renowned coach Randy Huntington. Joseph shares practical insights on plyometric training, athlete profiling, special strength training, contrast methods, as well as how he adapts his approach across youth, developing, and elite athletes.Joseph conducted his PhD research on training load at Edith Cowen University in Perth and has also written widely on topics such as plyometrics, strength and power development, and performance testing – with work published on SimpliFaster, Sportsmith, and various peer-reviewed journals. There are very few in the sports performance field with the degree of applied and academic experience as Joseph has, so I hope you enjoy this one!🔗 Explore more of Joseph’s work:ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph-CoyneArticles on SimpliFaster: https://simplifaster.com/articles/author/josephcoyne/Articles on Sportsmith: https://www.sportsmith.co/contributors/joseph-coyne/Support the show

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