Bermuda National Athletics Association director of athletics, DeVon Bean has successfully passed with distinction, the Sprints and Hurdles IAAF Level 5 Elite Academy Coach Course.

The IAAF Academy Course for Elite Coach is the highest recognised achievement awarded through the IAAF Coaches Education and Certification System.

It is a globally recognised qualification that indicates that a coach is not only highly experienced, but has the knowledge to coach or instruct at the highest international levels of the track and field profession.

This certification is considered as an equivalent to the United States of America Track and Field Level 3 which is the highest certification in the United States.

The course comprised of a weeklong, 12-hour-per-day theory and practical component which made up 50 per cent of the grade.

Upon completion of this, participant’s grades had to be sufficient to grant them access to complete the second part which was a study over the following six months of a chosen athlete implementing the required components to produce a full report of a six-month training cycle.

Bean commenced his coaching certifications in 2008 and prior to this completed the Youth Chief Coach Certification in 2013. He has been heavily involved with athletics in Bermuda since his retirement from professional track and field.

Bean, who will be responsible for leading the coaching staff for the Carifta 2020 team is the first locally based coach to complete the course in this format and puts Bermuda in a position to be compared to our global counterparts with regard to quality of coaching staff.