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by Leighton Levy,

Being fitter, stronger, and having his wife as coach have been key factors behind why Kim Collins continues to defy time and run faster even as he gets older.

Collins, who turns 40 in April, opened his season at the Central Hurdles and Relays meet at G.C. Foster College on Saturday, winning the 60-metre dash in 6.53 seconds.

Last season, Collins ran nine races unbeaten over 60m indoors and had the top four fastest times in the world.

The closest sprinter to his world-leading 6.47 was 26-year-old Ryan Bailey of the USA who ran 6.50s in Seattle on February 14.

Collin’s speed has not been confined to the indoor circuit as in 2014 he ran the 100 metres in a personal best 9.96 seconds.

The Jamaica-based athlete explained that it is his approach to training that has allowed him to defy the odds, and time.

“Most athletes go in the opposite direction,” he said.

“They come and train hard every day and this goes on for months. In the end their bodies will begin to break down. I come from the opposite direction. Whatever it is you’re trying to do, you must get fit first. So before I go to sprint my body must be fit.”

He revealed that he is a lot stronger now than when he was world champion in 2003, having adopted weight training, something he never did when he was younger.

“I am way, way stronger now because back then I wasn’t doing weights, I wasn’t taking vitamins, nothing like that,” he said.

He gives a lot of credit to his wife Paula, whom he said, helps him to be honest.

“The critical thing is having my wife as coach because you can’t lie to her about how you feel, you can’t lie about what’s going on,” he said.

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