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National Schools’ Cycling Championships
Singh finally gets 25k gold, Upper Dem. sweeps male race
By Edison Jefford
Naomi Singh’s story is a true reflection of triumph through struggles. From falling down to road accidents, the persistent rider finally met her long–awaited destination yesterday when she won the coveted gold medal in the girls’ open 25km cycle road race.
Naomi Singh
The East Coast rider rushed to the finish line in 53.19 leaving Upper Demerara’s Hazina Barrett (53.27) in second and Corentyne’s Shimolly Welch (56.16) in third after taking control of the race on the last hill of the Linden Highway.
“I punctured and crashed during the last three years of this competition…this feels good because this is my last year,” Singh told Kaieteur Sport following her victory. She said she always found the will, somehow, to continue racing.
After enduring such misfortune for three consecutive years, the will of any athlete to continue in a discipline the love tends to wane but not Singh’s, who thanked national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed for keeping her active in the sport.
“I came to get this race. As soon as I got away, I knew I was going to win it,” an ecstatic Singh said, while lamenting the absence of her foes from the previous years. It seemed as though the athlete came with a point to prove in Linden.
While her parents thanked God for the victory, Singh said: “I was not happy about not having some of my rivals from the previous years in the race…hopefully they will come out in the 3000m and 5000m track races.”
Her time to celebrate soon faded as word got around that the Upper Demerara triplet were about to sweep the male 40km cycle road race. As the police outriders’ sirens approached, the news frightened officials from other districts.
The grapevine information became a gripping fact when Michael Nelson left Al Greene and Ras Staf O’Selmo to battle for second and third places. Nelson got away for an easy win in 1:06.56 while Greene clocked 1:10.43 and O’Selmo 1:10.45.
As Nelson recovered to talk to the media, Greene obviously could not afford the same leisure as he had to be assisted to his feet after finishing the gruelling event. O’Selmo was also lost for words as he attempted to retrieve oxygen.
“It just felt good…I was strong all the time. It was a little rough but it was still alright. I left them from the start of the race and they never caught me,” Nelson boasted after a few sips of water; he said he is used to such terrain because of his exposure.
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