Dahlia Palmer
Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF) has moved to clear the air regarding matters involving national cyclist Dahlia Palmer and the absence of her coach Robert Farrier from the Pan American Games, where she won bronze in the women's keirin final in Chile recently.
The JCF in a widely circulated release started by addressing the issue of Palmer finding US$4,742.50 ($738,000) to fund her way to the Pan American Track Cycling Championships (PATCC). The federation pointed out that it is not unusual for any national cyclist to partly or completely self-fund their trips to various competitions as the federation is not able to fully fund all cyclists to all the needed competitions overseas.
It added that Palmer is one of twenty National Cyclists selected for national duties in 2023 across both cycling disciplines (track and road) and based on the recommendation of the JCF, she has been the recipient of the Solidarity Scholarship funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and managed through the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
"Dahlia has been a beneficiary of this scholarship for two consecutive Olympic cycles and the sole cyclist to benefit from this funding valued at USD15,000 annually. The federation has funded Dahlia Palmer to UCI Nations Cup appearances since late 2018 through to March 2022, totaling to amounts more than USD $37,345, not including the Solidarity funds," the JCF release said.
"It is important to note that in August 2023 the federation obtained sponsorship from the cycling community and was able send a Junior cyclist to the World Junior Track Cycling Championships. This was done to fulfill the mandatory requirement of the world cycling governing body UCI, in which Jamaica’s participation in this event will enable our elite track cyclist to participate in the World Track Cycling Championships in 2024 in the event they qualify, this includes Ms. Palmer," it stated.
Where Palmer’s personal coach, Farrier is concerned, the JCF explained that he is not a member of the federation and its appointed coaches. Farrier has also been said to have openly discredited, belittled, and denigrated the JCF board, local coaches and track athletes, which the JCF said resulted in his suspension and, by extension, his absence from the PanAm Games.
"Ahead of the team’s departure for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, a team meeting was convened. The national coach, members of the JCF board, athletes and their personal managers/coaches were in attendance. Mr. Farrier stated that if he was not selected to attend the games as coach, then Ms. Dahlia Palmer would not attend the games. He further
threatened to embarrass the JCF and the JOA before abruptly leaving the meeting, when told that the national coach selected to manage the team is the sole official from the federation based on the games accreditation calculator as stated by the JOA.
"Mr. Farrier was then advised that based on his behavior the JCF would not consider him for national accreditation to accompany selected cyclist to represent Jamaica internationally for a minimum of 12-months and asked that he provide a written apology to both the JOA and the JCF. A suspension of this nature is in keeping with code of conduct guidelines set out by the global cycling body UCI. Subsequently the JOA requested a meeting with the JCF and Dahlia Palmer to discuss her withdrawal from the CAC games. Ms. Palmer refused to attend the meeting without her coach, Mr. Farrier," the JCF explained.
According to the JCF, on September 20, 2023, an attorney representing Palmer and Farrier contested the issue of his suspension and refusal of accreditation to the PanAm Games.
Following her medal winning exploit, Palmer expressed some semblance of fulfilment due to the fact that Farrier had to give her instructions while watching the Games on television in Trinidad and Tobago, where they are based.
However, the JCF explained that his absence could have been avoided.
"Information regarding the threat of a lawsuit Palmer/Farrier vs JCF was posted by SportsMax.TV on September 22, and a TVJ feature on September 27, which included an interview with Palmer/Farrier’s attorney. There were exchanges between both attorneys on the matter. The JCF agreed to accredit Mr. Farrier on condition that he provides a written apology to the JCF and the JOA for his behavior, and that this should be shared in the same medium in which the matter was made public by Palmer/Farrier themselves or their respective agents.
"Mr. Farrier refused to issue a public apology and, as such was not accredited to accompany Ms. Palmer for the PanAm Games. The national coach, Carlton Simmonds, was accredited to attend the PanAm Games to support Ms. Palmer. Ms. Palmer, however, refused any assistance or contact with the assigned coach and opted to be coached remotely by her personal coach, Robert Farrier," the JCF shared, adding that it remains committed to supporting all national cyclists, and also congratulated Palmer on her achievement.
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Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) donates JMD$1 million to Jamaica Cycling Federation for equipment upgrade
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has made a significant contribution to the development of cycling in Jamaica by donating JMD$1 million to the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The grant, aimed at boosting the sport’s progress, was used to purchase vital racing and training equipment, including state-of-the-art smart trainers.
The Jamaica Cycling Federation expressed its gratitude for the financial assistance, highlighting the importance of this investment in elevating the sport’s standards. Smart trainers have become increasingly popular in cycling programs worldwide due to their advanced capabilities, which are integral to modern training methods.
“These smart trainers are game changers,” said a spokesperson for the Federation. “They allow riders and coaches to approach training in a more scientific manner, offering features like measuring and tracking energy output, simulating race routes, and even enabling coaches to remotely access training data.”
This technological upgrade not only enhances training efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for coaches to closely monitor and optimize athletes' performance. The equipment's ability to simulate real-world racing conditions and provide accurate data on rider performance will help Jamaica’s cyclists prepare for international competition with cutting-edge tools.
The JOA's donation represents its ongoing commitment to supporting the development of underrepresented sports in Jamaica. “This contribution from the JOA is truly appreciated and confirms the continued support for the growth and development of sports like cycling,” the Federation said.
The equipment is expected to help Jamaica’s cyclists better prepare for regional and international competitions, as the nation continues to push for excellence across various sporting disciplines.
Dream on: Paul urges young T&T cyclists to keep pushing for Olympic feat as 2028 LA Games in sight
While looking ahead to possibly making another Olympic Games appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles, Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling stalwart, Nicholas Paul, is also hopeful that he will be able to share that occasion with a few more riders from the twin island republic.
Well aware of the depth of the talent that Trinidad and Tobago possesses, Paul, who relished a second-consecutive Olympic Games appearance at the just-concluded Paris showpiece, believes it is very much possible for those cyclists to also achieve their dreams of competing at the global multi-sport event.
The decorated Paul, who has numerous championship medals under his belt, and Kwesi Browne represented Trinidad and Tobago with much gusto and pride in Paris, as they gave their all on the track in both the sprint and keirin events, though both failed to make the finals.
“Team sprint, sprint, Keirin, team pursuit, I just want as many cyclists as possible to be able to make it on the Olympic stage,” Paul told the Express.
“It’s a big, big, big pool of talented young cyclists coming up. I have been trying to be a good role model for them, to let them know that they can come out here because the dream is possible. You just have to work hard. We can make a good driving force from juniors straight up to the elite,” he added.
Having contested both the Sprint and Keirin quarterfinals in Paris, Paul expressed an even deeper desire to improve his standards going forward, especially after watching Australian Matthew Richardson and Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen erase his previous world record of 9.100 in the flying 200 metres.
Lavreysen stopped the clock at 9.088 seconds, mere minutes after Richardson clocked 9.091 seconds.
“It (the quarterfinals) was not the outcome I wanted, but you live, you learn, and you come again. But I’m happy for Harrie. That was a great ride, and at the same time, it’s giving me more hunger to get back on that length to be able to break the world record and get that fast again,” Paul noted.
However, for now, the 25-year-old pointed out that the focus is on rest and recovery ahead of his next major assignment, the UCI Track World Championships scheduled for October 16-20 in Denmark.
“I think I’ll back off a bit, have a bit of a rest, and then go into Worlds. I’m really hungry, but at the same time, the build was until Paris. It was a bit stressful, so I have to ease off and then go into Worlds with as much form as possible,” Paul said.
On that note, Paul also expressed gratitude for the support from Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting enthusiasts, though some comments were not welcoming of the athletes’ overall efforts in Paris.
“I never think about the negatives because we could only work with the positives, and we have a lot of positives to work with. Moving forward, us athletes should come together and try to make Trinidad and Tobago better as a whole. Athletics, cycling, and every sport; to raise the level not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in the Caribbean,” he ended.
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