Trinidad and Tobago’s ace cyclist Nicholas Paul has his sights set on greater achievements in 2025, vowing to work harder to improve his performance on the international stage.
“I want to work a lot on my strength and my tactics; those are the two biggest things I would be working on. I’ve actually already started,” Paul shared as he outlined his goals for the year ahead, which include excelling at the Pan American Track Cycling Championships and the UCI Track World Championships.
After several years of training at the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland, Paul took a welcome break and returned to Gasparillo for the festive season as he spent time with family while reflecting on his 2024 campaign.
Paul’s year began with his third First Citizens Sportsman of the Year title and a Nations Cup sprint bronze in Canada. He then defended his sprint and keirin titles at the Pan Am Championships in the United States before heading to Paris for his second Olympic Games, where he reached the men’s sprint 1/8 finals and keirin quarter-finals.
In November, Paul wrapped up the season with a strong showing in the Champions League, finishing fifth overall in the sprints after three weeks of racing across France, the Netherlands, and England.
Those performances saw the 26-year-old cop the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation Male Athlete of the Year award.
“The 2024 season was a great one. I will always thank God for health, strength, and guidance all the time. It was a great Olympic Games for me; I didn’t get the result I wanted, but I still had good performances and put my best foot out there and left it all on the track for TT,” Paul said.
“That was great. The Champions League was a great way to end the year. For each event, I take away some good lessons: racing wise, tactically, and being able to know my body a bit more. I think this year was a great learning year for me,” he added.
In 2025, Paul is not only intent on dominating the regional track again at the PanAm Championships, but he is also determined to secure a third medal at the World Championships, set for October 15-19 in Chile. He will also compete in the Nations Cup in Turkey in March.
“2025 it’s not an Olympic qualification year, but the big goal would be for World Championships and Pan American Championships. I’m looking forward to those events,” Paul, who will resume training in Switzerland in January, shared.