INDIANAPOLIS — Thursday USATF announced the medical staff for Team USA for track & field, marathon and race walk at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
USATF Announces Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Coaching Staff
Dustin Williams, Head Athletic Trainer
Dustin Williams MS, ATC will serve on his fourth Olympic Games staff and was most recently the head athletic trainer for Team USATF at the 2019 IAAF World Relays. Williams served as the Head ATC at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He has been Head ATC for 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships and 2014 and 2018 IAAF World Indoor championships. Dustin was a member of the medical staff for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. He currently is the head athletic trainer for the Men’s and Women’s Track and Field teams at Brigham Young University. Dustin currently serves as the Medical Service Chair for USATF Sports Medicine and Sports Science Committee and has been in this role since 2013.
Harris Patel, Athletic Trainer / Physician Assistant
Harris Patel will serve on his fourth Olympic Games staff and currently works at Sports Medicine South in Atlanta, Georgia. He started his health care career as an athletic trainer in 1998 and his experience includes care to the University of Georgia’s football and track & field teams, the University of Alabama’s football and softball teams, the Indianapolis Colts, and the New York Jets. He has also been a part of the medical staff for the NFL Scouting Combine and multiple college football championship bowl games. Patel has been on multiple USATF Medical Staffs since 2003, including the 2005, ‘09, ‘11, and ‘19 IAAF World Outdoor Championships and the ‘14, ‘15, and ‘17 IAAF World Relay Championships, among others.
Akihito Tajima, Athletic Trainer
Originally from Gifu, Japan, Aki Tajima is recently entering his third season as an Athletic Trainer for the Orlando Magic and will serve on his first Olympic Games staff. Previously, Aki has worked for Seattle Sounders FC, LA Galaxy and University of Arkansas track and field team. Aki has worked with USATF at IAAF World U20 Championships in Barcelona, the Thorpe Cup, NACAC U23 Championships, NACAC Championships, and most recently the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha. He also served as a volunteer athletic trainer for USA Beach Volleyball, Men’s Water Polo, and the United States Olympic Committee.
Darrell Barnes, Athletic Trainer
Darrell Barnes, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS is the Performance Medical Coordinator for St. Vincent Sports Performance located in Indianapolis and will serve on his first Olympic Games staff. Darrell has served on the medical staff for the 2019 IAAF World Relays, 2018 USATF Outdoor Championships, 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. For the last eight years, Darrell has provided service to USATF athletes at multiple Diamond League meets and USATF Sport Performance Workshops.
Bill Ito, Athletic Trainer
Set to serve on his second Olympic Games staff, Bill Ito, is a Certified Athletic Trainer and has been a medical staff volunteer with USATF since 2006. He previously served on the medical staff for USATF during the 2016 Olympic Games. Ito has also been on the medical staff for the IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2013 and ‘15 as well as the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships. He has served as an athletic trainer on the World Junior level for the 2006, ‘10 and ‘14 IAAF World Championships, and as well as serving at the Head Athletic Trainer for the 2011 IAAF World Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championship Team in Lille, France and the Head Athletic Trainer for the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon. He has also served on the medical staff for the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships and the 2017 IAAF World Relay Championships. Ito currently resides in Upland, California, working at Upland High School.
Junko Yazawa, Athletic Trainer
A native of Japan, Junko Yazawa is an athletic trainer with the Arizona Diamondbacks and will be serving on her second Olympic Games staff. Yazawa has served on multiple USATF national team medical staffs, including the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in 2007, ‘13, ‘15 and ‘17, as well as the IAAF World Junior Outdoor Championships in 2012. Yazawa has also been an athletic trainer on staff at Arizona State University, Texas Christian University, University of San Antonio, and Long Island University.
Christie-Lee Coad, Athletic Trainer
Christie-Lee Coad, MS, ATC, LAT will be serving on the medical staff at her first Olympic Games in Tokyo. Most recently, she was on the medical staff for the 2019 IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. In 2018 Coad was the head Athletic Trainer for the Continental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic and was a member of the medical staff at the IAAF Indoor World Championships in Birmingham, UK as well as the Birmingham and Doha Diamond League Competitions. She has also been the head Athletic Trainer at the 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships and on the medical staff at the 2015 Pan American Games and 2014 Great BUPA Cross Country Championships. Coad resides in College Station, Texas working at Alpha Sports.
Chris Yee, Massage Therapist
Chris Yee, LMT, serving on his first Olympic staff, was an LMT on the USATF medical staff for the 2019 and ‘17 IAAF World Championships. He was also an LMT on the USATF medical staff for the 2018 Athletics World Cup, and the 2016 NACAC U-23 Championships. Additionally, he has received medical team assignments for USA Swimming at the 2019 Pan Am Games and at the 2018 Short Course World Championships of Swimming. In his 15th year as a massage therapist, Yee currently provides services for teams at the University of Michigan and at CW Therapy in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he was a member of the track & field team and was a captain in his senior year.
Chiropractor, Dr. Josh Glass
Dr. Josh Glass, DC, CCSP, will serve on his third Olympic Games staff with almost 20 years of elite sports chiropractic experience. He served on the USATF medical staff for the London and Rio Olympic Games, along with nine other USATF national team medical staffs since 2009. He is the team chiropractor for the Atlanta Hawks, University of Georgia and Georgia Tech track and field teams, and Emory and Georgia State Athletic Departments, as well as working at Georgia Sports Chiropractic. He competed for UGA Cross Country and track and field teams from 1991-96, and he continues to stay connected and involved in the running and other athletic communities in Atlanta. He resides in Marietta, GA with his wife Alicia Glass, Senior Sport Dietitian for the USOPC, and three children, Jarret, Galina and Charli.
Dr. James Parker, Chiropractor
Dr. Parker, will serve on his first Olympic Games staff and has worked on three USATF medical team staffs, including the 2017 World Outdoor Championships in London, the 2018 World Indoor Championships, and the 2019 World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Parker was part of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team as a hammer thrower, and is a three-time USATF national champion in the event. Beside his busy practice, Buhler Athletic Injuries and Human Performance Clinic, he enjoys raising his 6 children with his wife Kamilla.
Dr. Monique Burton, Physician
Dr. Monique Burton is a board certified pediatrician with a certificate of added qualification in Sports Medicine working at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. Serving on her second Olympic Games staff, Dr. Burton completed her pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital Oakland and a primary care sports medicine fellowship at UCLA. She is the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Program at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Burton is the Chair of the USATF Sports Medicine Science Committee and has served as a volunteer team physician with USATF at numerous international competitions including the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2009 and 2011 IAAF World Championships, 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 2019 World Relays.
Dr. Amadeus Mason, Physician
Set to serve on his second Olympic Games staff, Dr. Mason is a physician, board certified in Sports Medicine, a registered MSK ultrasound specialist (RMSK), holds Sports Medicine diplomas from the International Olympic Committee and FIFA, and is an Assistant professor at the Emory School of Medicine. Dr. Mason completed his undergraduate at Princeton University, Medical School at Howard University, and Sports Medicine Fellowship in Birmingham, Alabama under the tutelage of Dr. James Andrews. Dr. Mason has served on educational or steering committees for a number of sports medicine organizations including the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sports Medicine, IAAF, and USATF. He is the Team Physician for Tucker High School, Georgia Tech Track & Field and Cross Country; and the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation. He also serves as the Medical Director for the Elite and Masters athlete programs at the Atlanta Track Club.
Sport Psychologist, Dr. Nohelani Lawrence
Lani Lawrence, PsyD, CMPC, serving on her first Olympic Games staff, was most recently the lead sport psychologist for the 2019 IAAF World Championship Team in Doha, Qatar. In addition, she has also served as Team USATF lead sport psychologist at the 2019 IAAF World Relays, 2018 World Indoor Championships, 2017 IAAF World Relays, and the 2016 NACAC Track & Field Championships. Currently, she works as a clinical and sport psychologist for the athletic department at the University of Southern California and is an elected member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s executive board. Dr. Lawrence also currently serves on the USATF Sport Psychology Sub-Committee.