‘That’s an exceptional performance’
Cycling coach hails Sharpe for winning Elite Caribbean Cycling title
Published:Tuesday | November 5, 2024 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
LLORI SHARPE created history over the weekend, becoming the first Jamaican woman to win the elite women’s road race at the Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships in Georgetown, Guyana.
Carlton Simmonds, head coach of the team, said Sharpe’s achievement should be used as a platform to lure more young talents to the sport.
“This can be used to attract young females to the sport and is something we can use to target the schools. It has to start there, to develop good, grass-roots cyclists. I think the federation also has a big role to play to also get boys in the sport. I think she did excellent. It’s the first time we’re having a female winning that event at the elite level, so that’s an exceptional performance for her and us as a country,” said Simmonds.
Sharpe secured the gold medal ahead of Bermuda’s Gabriella Arnold and Guadeloupe’s Berenice Paul, who took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
According to Simmonds, Sharpe’s performance doesn’t come as a surprise because he has seen firsthand how she prepares for a championship and believes the 24-year-old has all the tools necessary to become a world beater.
“From day one she’s been an athlete that is very focused on what she does. She is very structured, so seeing what she has accomplished from then until now isn’t a surprise to me. Being around her and seeing the work ethic tells me she has a very competitive mindset, and that is what propels her to do great things,” said Simmonds.
This achievement was a step-up from last year’s championship in Guadeloupe, where she took the silver medal.
Simmonds explained that while the preparation for the championships wasn’t ideal, Sharpe quickly made the necessary changes in order to bring out her best performance.
“First you hear it’s happening here, then it’s happening there. Dates and times kept shifting, so it becomes challenging as to how the athlete prepares and gets settled in a fashion where the mindset is where it ought to be. However, with youngsters, they tend to get around, so the adjustment wasn’t hard for them.”
Jamaica’s other representatives in Andrew Ramsey, Obrian Madourie, and Damaine Douglas fell short of podium finishes. Douglas finished 12th in the men’s 155km, Ramsey finished 24th in the elite men’s road race, and Madourie didn’t manage to finish.