NICHOLAS PAUL ended a 30-year drought when he became Trinidad and Tobago’s first cyclist to grab a world cycling medal after legendary national cyclist Gene Samuel accomplished the feat in 1991. Samuel was brought to tears following Paul’s historic ride.
Paul, 23, copped a silver medal in the men’s 1k (kilometre) time trial at the 2021 International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Cycling World Championships in Roubaix, France.
Paul made amends after narrowly missing out on a medal in the men’s keirin event on Thursday when he ended in fourth position.
Paul, who made his Olympic debut this year at the Tokyo Games, sprinted to the line in 59.791 seconds. Winning gold was Dutchman Jeffrey Hoogland in 58.418 and grabbing bronze was German Joachim Eilers in 1:00.008. Less than three seconds separated the eight finalists.
[caption id="attachment_920441" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Trinidad and Tobago's Nicholas Paul reacts after competing in the men's 1Km Time Trial final during the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at The Jean-Stablinski Velodrome in Roubaix, France, on Friday. (AFP PHOTO) -[/caption]
Paul's silver-medal performance was TT's best showing ever at the World Championships.
The first cyclist from TT to snatch a medal at a World Championships was Roger Gibbon when he took bronze in the 1k event in Amsterdam in 1967. Like Paul, he was 23 at the time.
TT had to wait 24 more years to get a second medal when Samuel earned bronze in the 1k time trial at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany in 1991. He was 30 at the time.
“I am so elated (for Paul) because the country is in a mess. We need some good positive vibes,” Samuel told Newsday.
“I could only imagine, but I know what his parents and what he is going through right now. I was in tears in 1991.”
[caption id="attachment_920446" align="alignnone" width="1024"] FLASHBACK: Gene Geronimo Samuel shows the framed photo from thirty years ago, when he won bronze at the UCI World Championships in 1991. Samuel congratulated national cyclist Nicholas Paul on winning a silver medal at the UCI World Championships 2021 in France. -PHOTO BY ROGER JACOB[/caption]
Samuel was then moved to tears while saying, “I am happy for him…fantastic…congratulations Nicholas, your team, your mother, your father. Congratulations on behalf of TT.”
Samuel said Paul is benefitting from training at the UCI Centre in Switzerland.
“We are blessed in the Caribbean with natural talent," he said. "We just don’t have the support from the Government. The mere fact that Nicholas is getting the opportunity to be in the UCI school in Switzerland (with) world renowned coaches, science behind you, faster tracks and better equipment (is great). It is going to come down to once everything is fine on the day, it is going to come down to talent and I know we are blessed in the Caribbean.”
Samuel pleaded with sports administrators to support the athletes.
“We need proper management, pro
