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Rio Olympics 2016: Meet the Games coach who’s … 94 years old

John Walker and Arch Jelley support Hamish Carson (R) at an event.

John Walker and Arch Jelley support Hamish Carson (R) at an event. Photo: Instagram

Veteran sports coaches are nothing new.

Wayne Bennett, at 66, is still going strong at the NRL’s Brisbane Broncos.

Otto Rehhagel was 71 when he guided Greece to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the new 400m world record holder, Wayde van Niekerk, is coached by a 74-year-old.

But Kiwi athletics coach Arch Jelley, at 94, puts those feats of longevity in the shade.

Jelley was recognised as one of the best track coaches in the world in the 1970s and early 1980s, guiding countryman John Walker to the first sub 3:50 mile and then a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Even in 2016, he’s still going, guiding New Zealand’s Hamish Carson to Rio.

And although Carson did not make it through the first round of the men’s 1500m competition – runners who were slower did, though, due to the event’s convoluted qualifying process – his partnership with Jelley is still astonishing.

For some perspective, when Jelley first started coaching, Sir Robert Menzies was Prime Minister of Australia, Jack Brabham was the Formula One champion and Malcolm Turnbull had just started primary school.

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Walker and Jelley stay in contact regularly. Photo: Getty

Jelley is surely the oldest coach at this Olympics, and probably the oldest top-level coach anywhere in the world.

It’s quite a feat, though don’t expect too many superlatives from Jelley.

“I don’t know if it is that special,” Jelley told The New Daily.

“If you know what you are doing and can still do it well, why not continue? Age is just a number.”

Jelley experienced his first Olympics at Tokyo in 1964, guiding New Zealander Neville Scott to the 5000m final.

He then experienced some success at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, but his greatest work came in a two-decade association with Walker from 1971.

In that time, Walker produced Commonwealth silver in 1974, a world record in 1975, an Olympic title in 1976 and became the first man to run 100 sub-four minute miles.

Jelley finally retired from coaching in 2000, before a surprise phone call from Carson’s mother five years later got him back in the game.

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Jelley is at home on the track. Photo: Instagram

“She asked if I would consider advising her son,” he said.

“I thought about it for a while, then agreed to give it a go.”

Carson has achieved eight New Zealand titles since 2010, though his progress on the international front was stalled by a succession of injuries.

He was ranked as low as 133rd in the world in 2014, but is now inside the top 45, claiming a personal best of 3:36:25 to qualify for these Games.

Carson has no doubt where the credit lies.

“I wouldn’t be in Rio if it wasn’t for him,” Carson told The New Daily.

“He is very calm and always comes up with the right words at the right time.

“He’s obviously got so much experience and has faith in his plans and programmes.”

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Carson missed out on the 1500m final. Photo: Getty

It’s a unique partnership.

Carson is based in Wellington, but visits Auckland for training blocks with Jelley.

Until recently, Carson would even stay in the spare room of Jelley’s apartment at his retirement home.

“If you know what you are doing and can still do it well, why not continue? Age is just a number.”
94-year-old Arch Jelley

“It was great,” he told The New Zealand Herald in July.

”It was a pretty relaxed place, there was a pool and bowling green around the corner and cheap meals in the cafe.”

There is a 66-year age gap between the pair, but that doesn’t seem to matter.

“It has never really been a factor,” Carson added.

“I think we work well together and I feel comfortable with him.”

Whether Carson’s partnership with Jelley continues post-Games remains to be seen.

But one thing is for sure.

Their union is one of the stories of these Rio Games.

Michael Burgess will write stories from Rio de Janeiro throughout the 2016 Olympic Games.

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