WORLD CHAMPION Ryan M. Brathwaite will soon be changing his United States training base from Kansas to Oklahoma.

Brathwaite, who won gold in the 110-metres hurdles at the World Championships in Berlin last August, will be joining his coach Matt Kane who has accepted a job as an assistant men's coach with the University of Oklahoma (Sooners) programme.

The move was confirmed by Alwyn Babb, the Barbadian coach who spotted Brathwaite and guided his development before he went to Barton County Community College.

"He's going there to train at the same university and will be doing classes online.

"He missed some time, so he will complete what he is doing in Kansas online and will train in Oklahoma," Babb told the SATURDAY SUN.

He also revealed that Brathwaite "has been doing strength work and conditioning for the most part and refining some techniques in his hurdling" since he left Barbados.

The success of the 21-year-old world champion is one of the reasons why Kane was offered the job.

According to an article published on www.soonersports.com, head coach Martin Smith was impressed by Kane's accomplishments at the junior college level and at the World Championships.

"I am really excited in regards to what Matt can bring to his event area," said Smith. "I thought he did an exceptional job in helping the Barton County programme stabilise and return to the national scene. The success he had this summer at the Berlin World Championships are reflective of an extremely talented and skilled professional coach."

Three of Kane's athletes reached the finals in Berlin. Along with Brathwaite, Alonso Edward of Panama was a silver medallist behind Usain Bolt in a national and South American area record of 19.81 seconds in the 200 metres.

He had also qualified for the 100 metres, but decided to focus on the longer event. Quarter-miler Tabarie Henry of the United States Virgin Islands finished fourth in the men's 400 metres in 45.42 seconds.

Kane was the head men's and women's coach at Barton County for three years and was named the 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association's Men's Coach of the Year. He enjoyed success with the school, both indoor and outdoor.

Under his guidance, Brathwaite set new schools records in the 55-metre hurdles (7.18 seconds) in 2009, the 60-metre hurdles (7.65) in 2008 and also shattered the 110-metres record in 13.23 seconds.

Prior to the World Championships, he lowered the Barbados national record three times, and then lowered it again in the semi-finals and the finals, posting 13.14 seconds to claim the gold medal. (SAT)