LLORI SHARPE created history over the weekend, becoming the first Jamaican woman to win the elite women’s road race at the Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships in Georgetown, Guyana. Carlton Simmonds, head coach of the team, said Sharpe’s achievement should be used as a platform to lure more young talents to the sport. “This can be used to attract young females to the sport and is something we can use to target the schools.
It has to start there, to develop good, grass-roots cyclists. I think the federation also has a big role to play to also get boys in the sport. I think she did excellent.
It’s the first time we’re having a female winning that event at the elite level, so that’s an exceptional performance for her and us as a country,” said Simmonds. Sharpe secured the gold medal ahead of Bermuda’s Gabriella Arnold and Guadeloupe’s Berenice Paul, who took the silver and bronze medals, respectively. According to Simmonds, Sharpe’s performance doesn’t come as a surprise because he has seen firsthand how she prepares for a championship and believes the 24-year-old has all the tools necessary to become a world beater.
“From day one she’s been an athlete that is very focused on what she does. She is very structured, so seeing what she has accomplished from then until now isn’t a surprise to me. Being around her and seeing the work ethic tells me she has a very competitive mindset, and that is what propels her to do great things,” said Simmonds.
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