Romany: TT cyclists are the world’s best

Michael Larry Romany
Michael Larry Romany

RECENTLY-ELECTED TT Cycling Federation (TTCF) president Larry Romany says TT’s team track sprint team, which broke a Pan American record and recorded the second fastest time ever in the event on Wednesday night, is as good, if not better than the world’s best sprint cycling team.

Speaking in an interview with Newsday yesterday, Romany, who was elected TTCF president late last month, beamed with joy at the team’s performance.

“This is not something that should be looked at and just passed off as something that just happened on a track; this is a superb effort,” said Romany.

The TTO sprint team’s effort saw them break the Pan American team sprint record twice in one day, clocking the faster time of 41.938 seconds in the gold medal win. Their gold medal performance was just shy of a world record (41.871 seconds) set by Germany at the UCI World Cup in 2013.

“The time was a spectacular time. I mean, when you consider the only team to beat that time is Germany, and they did it at altitude as well, it is a tremendous time,” Romany said.

He said the team has consistently performed on the world stage like few TT teams before.

“I mean everyone ­– the country should be extremely proud of these boys. You cannot get more world class than that,” Romany added.

Had they recorded their time during an Olympic final, a medal was all but assured, Romany said.

“You are talking about fellas who have been polished. I mean, if this was the Olympic Games, this is medal time. These are guys are as good if not better than anybody in the world.”

Romany, who also served as the TT Olympic Committee president before current president Brian Lewis, said he is still trying to “wrap his head around” the sprint team’s incredible feat.

He was elected cycling chief unopposed at the TTCF’s extraordinary general meeting late last month.

Romany said his concern is not so much on the current elite group of athletes, but the prospective bunch, yet to realise their talents.

Romany said he joined (the TTCF) for two reasons: the opportunity presented itself, and that he sees a clear pathway for the holistic development of the sport in TT, from the primary school level up.

“This was not a simple decision on my part, to join the federation. But I have always felt that since we placed that track (National Cycling Centre in Couva) there, (the) facility would produce more world champions and more medals than any of the other facilities that we’ve put up.

“And with this crop of talent,” he added, “this coach that they have (Erin Hartwell), they have the right ingredients that would allow our (already) high level of cycling to improve. But one of my concerns has always been, the development side, what has been happening at the primary school and secondary school level, so that there was a sustainability in this cycling programme, going forward.

“Those factors, the coach, the velodrome and the need for a proper pathway are the reasons why I came back in.”

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