Stona’s first coach over the moon
Rodrick Myles recalls introducing Olympic champion to throwing event
Published:Thursday | August 8, 2024 | 12:10 AMAdrian Frater/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Yesterday, track and field coach Rodrick Myles, who is the current coach at William Knibb High School, the alma mater of sprint legend Usain Bolt, was on ‘cloud nine’ as he watched Rojé Stona break the Olympic discus record, and, in so doing, win Jamaica’s first gold medal at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
“This is a proud moment for me,” said Myles, who introduced Stona to throwing events when the newly minted Olympic champion was a student at Rusea’s High School, in Hanover, back in 2013-2014.
“He came to me as a high jumper and a 100-metre runner, but, after looking at his height and build, I thought he was ideal for throwing events,” added Myers.
Within six months of teaching Stona the fundamentals of throwing, Myles said the now 25 year-old discus champion began doing extremely well. In fact, he quickly gained selection to represent Rusea’s in the Class Two boys discus at the Western Championships, where he easily won the title for his school.
“He was one of the hot favourites to win the boys’ Class Two discus title at the 2014 ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championship but, unfortunately, he fouled all three throws and ended up not registering a mark,” said Myles.
Myles did not get a second bite of the cherry with Stona at ‘Champs,’ as the Montego Bay-born athlete transferred from Rusea’s to St Jago High School in St Catherine, where his career flourished.
“While he was with me at Rusea’s, in addition to winning at Western Championships, he also won at the Digicel Grand Prix,” recalled Myles. “He was a very quick learner who was prepared to put in the hard work to get better, and he was also quite disciplined and easy to work with.”
Yesterday in Paris, Stona, who finished second behind national champion Traves Smikle at the Jamaica National Championships, to book his ticket to Paris, not only upstaged Smikle, who is a six-time national champion, but stunned the likes of the defending champion, Sweden’s Daniel Stahl; 2022 World Champion, Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh; world record holder, the Lithuanian Mykolas Alekna; and the exciting Australian, Matthew Denny, with his stunning 70m throw.
“I am not surprised that he is doing so well because, as I have said, he is very disciplined and, from a young age, he showed great potential, which he was prepared to back up with hard work,” said Myles of Stona, who moved on to Clemson University and then the University of Arkansas after he graduated from St Jago.
Stona is not the only outstanding thrower Myles has introduced to the sports, as his programme also discovered national shot put champion Danniel Thomas-Dodd, who finished fourth at the 2017 World Athletics Championship in London, England and won silver at the Indoor World Championship in 2018.
“The success of Stona and Danniel is motivation for me to continue working with young athletes to help them develop their talent and, hopefully, go on to success at the highest level,” said Myles. “But, as I said, today will always be a proud moment for me.”