Cyclist Nicholas Paul qualifies for Olympic games

National cyclist Nicholas Paul cemented his place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after producing a tenth place finish at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday.

In the opening men’s sprint qualifier (flying 200m), Paul, who holds the world record (9.1 seconds) in this event, qualified the sixth fastest in a blistering time of 9.556 seconds to advance to the next round.

Topping the list of 28 cyclists were Dutch riders Harrie Lavreysen (9.253s) and Jeffrey Hoogland (9.322s) and Pole Mateusz Rudyk (9.434s) respectively.

Against former World Cycling Centre teammate, Nien Hsing Hsieh (Chinese Taipei) in the 1/16 final, Paul emerged victorious and moved on to the 1/8 final.

The TT speedster locked horns with Matthijs Buchli (Netherlands) and was unable to get past the "flying Dutchman", bringing to an end his hectic, but successful Olympic qualification campaign.

Paul has now amassed the required Olympic qualifier points and maintained his position among the top 12 cyclists to affirm his spot at the Olympic Games in July.

By qualification rules, he can also contest the men’s keirin event in Tokyo. He joins compatriots Kwesi Browne (keirin, sprint) and TT first-ever female Olympic cycling representative, Teniel Campbell (women’s road race) in Tokyo, completing TT’s largest cycling contingent at an Olympics, in almost 50 years.