|
 Gay, who last summer completed a one-year ban for a 2013 positive
doping test and had been mentored by Lance Brauman for years, began
working with Smith's sprint group this week.
"I have had the blessings from Lance and I am now his sprint coach,"
Smith said in a telephone interview.
"He came on Monday and we have been working the five days," said the
longtime coach, whose athletes include former world record holder
and Olympic champion Maurice Greene, and four-time Olympic medalist
Ato Boldon.
Carmelita Jeter, the 2011 world 100m champion, continues to train
with Smith.
"My job is to take care of the talent that was developed before he
got here," Smith said of the 32-year-old Gay.
Gay, the American record holder at 100m and the joint second-fastest
man of all-time at 9.69 seconds, hoped to make the U.S. team for
August's world championships in Beijing and compete in the 2016
Olympics, Smith said.
"His competitiveness will allow him to compete at a high level," his
new coach said.
Gay had been looking for a full-time coach since his return from the
doping suspension last summer and he and Smith had been friends for
a long time, Mark Wetmore, the sprinter's longtime agent, said.
Wetmore said the move from Florida to California would be a good
opportunity for Gay.
"He is just going to put his head down and train and see what
happens. He had a good fall and winter and he's healthy," Wetmore
said.
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Gay, the 2007 world champion at 100 and 200m, returned to sprinting
last July after serving the one-year suspension for a banned
anabolic steroid. He forfeited a silver medal he won with the U.S.
4x100 relay team at the 2012 London Olympics and had his results
from July 2012 wiped out.
He received a reduced suspension after admitting his offence and
co-operating with investigators.
One of his former coaches, Jon Drummond, was suspended for eight
years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in December for doping
violations.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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