Hartwell thanks TTOC, hails TT riders

TECHNICAL director of the TT Cycling Federation Erin Hartwell has thanked the local riders for their work ethic during the 2018 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, saying they did not back done to the challenge.

TT won nine cycling medals at the CAC Games in Colombia – four gold and five bronze.

“We’re taking home an unprecedented nine medals from these games – unbelievable performances from Trinbagonian athletes! That said, from what I’ve seen the past few months, I knew we had a special group of athletes capable of genuine success,” Hartwell said.

The two-time Olympic medallist said he was impressed with the attitude of the TT team. “I salute the cyclists for their hyper-focused approach to high-performance and the pursuit of accomplishment at these games – no one was there for the trip. Everyone came to perform and maximize their individual and collective results. It was truly a collective world-class performance.” Hartwell said the TT cyclists showed their class against the region, and did not let the powerhouse countries intimidate them. “We were not to be deterred by the home team or the historical hitters from these games. We are TT and we raced for the collective pride and honour of our country. We are done playing second to anyone in the region. We recognized that our time was now and we were not to back down; our nation depended on us to succeed. Enough excuses, we could not come home with apologies and bacchanal.”

The technical director thanked everyone for contributing to the success of the team.

“First I want to express my sincerest gratitude for the support from the TTOC (TT Olympic Committee) in this quest for excellence at these 2018 Games in Colombia. I have to commend the TTOC for keeping us on good footing throughout the competition. While we had some serious challenges, the TTOC was there every step of the way in making sure we had what we needed to succeed.”

Hartwell added, “I could not be more proud of the men and women that make up this team and represented their country so well. It has been an honour to work with this squad. Additionally, I wish to thank the staff for their hard work throughout the challenges of the past two weeks. It’s been an amazing run. I am so happy we were able to uphold the expectations of the TTOC, MYSA (Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs), the Sports Company of TT, the TTCF (TT Cycling Federation), and collectively, our people.”