HAMILTON is about to gain the services of an athletics coach of world renown, with the arrival of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Level 4 coach, Phillip Molesworth.

Molesworth is moving to Hamilton shortly and is looking to set up a training squad of athletes who are looking to strive to be the best they can be in their chosen events.

Molesworth has been an athletics coach since 1972 when, as an aspiring 17-year-old he suffered a career ending injury playing football for the Collingwood Under-19 team against Melbourne.

The injury saw him change focus and become a coach, as his injury wouldn’t allow him to reach the level he had attained with his athletics again.

As a level four coach, he has attained the highest accreditation possible and is concentrating on the steeplechase and middle to long distance running events.

When attending university in Melbourne, he trained for 12 months but he looked to learn all he could from such notable coaches as Franz Stampfl (coached Roger Banister to the first sub four-minute mile) and Percy Cerutty (coach of Herb Elliott).

The first athlete that he coached to a national level and above was Andre Lambden, who was a middle-distance runner that Molesworth was able to produce the best from in the mid to late 1970’s and beyond.

“I am looking to start an athletics training group here in Hamilton, where the athletes can be the best of the best,” Molesworth said.

He already has an aspiring 11-year-old athlete under his tutelage, Emily Iredell, who is an aspiring sprinter and long jumper who Molesworth is looking to turn into a triple jumper.

Molesworth is aligned with Athletics South West Club and any athletes who are looking to take their sport to the next level will be competing under its banner.

He will be holding sessions at Mitchell Park or George Street Primary School Oval from next Tuesday.