Since 2020, Kenny Guex has been the head coach for sprints, hurdles, and relays at Swiss Athletics. In another lane, he is a lecturer in physiotherapy at the Haute École de Santé Vaud. We spoke with him about the 4x100m relay, as the women’s quartet traditionally closes Athletissima, often with a blazing time.
“Thanks to this event, the women’s 4x100m relay enjoys a great and prominent showcase,” says Kenny Guex. “Since 2019, this team has been brushing shoulders with the world’s best, appearing in nearly every major international final (Olympics, World and European Championships). We are now entering a new Olympic cycle. Competing in meets alongside other top-tier relay teams, like at Athletissima, is an important step in our development.”
Kenny Guex continues, emphasizing: “You don’t become a good relay runner at the elite level—it requires significant investment at the youth level, with regular and sustained participation in technical training. In a relay, there’s no use having four fast athletes if the technique isn’t there.” When the baton is passed cleanly from one hand to another, up to 3 seconds can be gained compared to the sum of the athletes’ individual times.
One of Kenny Guex’s main objectives is therefore to help develop a solid base among young athletes. “For the top of the pyramid to shine, its base must be strong,” he adds. “One approach is to improve collaboration across all men’s and women’s teams at every level: elite, U23, and U20. In our system, each team has its own coach. But everyone works together under the same philosophy. During training sessions, U20 coaches assist the U23s and vice versa. This helps with the transfer of skills.”
A relay team is like a family that lives with a baton. “To perform well,” Kenny Guex continues, “an athlete must be driven by a sense of self-efficacy and responsibility, both in terms of precision and discipline. They must also be able to speak up and contribute to decision-making, which is led by the coach. When everyone is on the same wavelength, only good results can follow.”
This philosophy is bearing fruit. Over the past two years, the U20 men won European gold, the U20 women took world silver, and the U23 women claimed European bronze—with Kim Beytrison as coach. He is now the new head coach of the women’s elite 4x100m team. “Just like Patrick Fischer in hockey,” says Kenny Guex, “it was important for us to promote a coach from within our system, someone who has been successful with the youth teams.”
