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| Bobby Kersee | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bobby Kersee |
| Birth date | 1960-08-01 |
| Birth place | Torrance, California |
| Occupation | Track and field coach |
| Spouse | Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
Bobby Kersee is an American track and field coach known for training world-class sprinters, hurdlers, and heptathletes. He has led athletes to medals at the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, and IAAF World Indoor Championships, and has been associated with professional clubs, collegiate programs, and national teams. Kersee's career intersects with major figures and institutions in United States track and field history, including collaborations with athletes from Jamaica, Canada, and Great Britain.
Born in Torrance, California, Kersee attended Compton High School and later matriculated at Antelope Valley College. He transferred to University of California, Los Angeles where he competed in track and field for the UCLA Bruins under coaches connected to the Pac-12 Conference. Kersee pursued graduate studies at Long Beach State University and worked with programs linked to the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship circuit, gaining experience that led to roles with professional training groups and national team staff for the United States Olympic Committee.
Kersee began coaching in Southern California clubs before rising to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. He built training groups that attracted talent from the United States and abroad, collaborating with organizations such as Nike, Inc. and joining elite meets like the Prefontaine Classic and the Penn Relays. His teams competed at the U.S. Olympic Trials, World Athletics Championships, and Goodwill Games, and Kersee served on coaching staffs for multiple United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee delegations. He worked alongside other noted coaches from the IAAF Hall of Fame era and contributed to the professionalization of sprint and hurdles training within commercial and collegiate environments.
Kersee coached an array of elite competitors who medaled at major championships. His roster included Jackie Joyner-Kersee (heptathlon, long jump), C. J. Holliday? (sprint), Inger Miller (100m, 4×100m), Michelle Freeman (hurdles), Kerron Clement (400m hurdles), Candace Hill (sprint), and Quincy Watts (400m). International athletes in his groups included competitors from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Great Britain. Kersee's athletes collected medals at the Summer Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Pan American Games, and Commonwealth Games.
Kersee emphasizes periodization, biomechanics, and psychological preparation, integrating principles from sport science research, physiology studies, and contemporary strength training practices. His methods draw on sprint mechanics promoted at the UCLA sports programs and incorporate video analysis used at events like the IAAF World Indoor Championships. Kersee collaborated with specialists in sports medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition to optimize recovery and performance, and he adopted training models employed by other elite coaches from the United States and Jamaica. His approach blends technical drills from sprint and hurdle traditions seen at the NCAA level with competition planning informed by major meets such as the Diamond League.
Kersee's contributions have been recognized by accolades from national and international bodies. His athletes' successes led to nominations and awards connected to the USATF Hall of Fame and acknowledgments at ceremonies tied to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and World Athletics. He has been invited as a speaker at conferences hosted by the United States Track & Field Coaches Association and featured in coverage by major outlets during editions of the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships.
Kersee is married to Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a multi-time Olympic medalist and IAAF Hall of Fame inductee. They have been based in the Los Angeles area and have engaged with community programs, youth development initiatives, and charitable efforts linked to athletics in California. Kersee's network includes prominent figures from the track and field community, and his family life intersects with the public profiles of international competitions such as the Summer Olympic Games and regional championships.
Category:American athletics coaches Category:People from Torrance, California