Newsday Article

Thursday, June 3 2010

AMERICAN Erin Hartwell was officially appointed High Performance Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago cycle team.

NATIONAL High Performance Coach Erin Hartwell, left, was officially

introduced to the public at the recent National Cycling Championship at Arima. Als...

On Saturday night, during the National Cycling Championship at the Arima Velodrome, he was officially introduced to the public.

Hartwell, a former US cyclist and ex-coach of Norway, has been enthused with responsibilities to guide the TT cyclists to the top international competitions.

Among the objectives are the Olympic Games, which will be held in London, England in 2012; the CAC Championships, Pan American Cycling Championships and the World Cycling Championships.

Soon after being introduced to the public, Hartwell said that his job is an easy one, judging from the tremendous amount of talent that TT possesses.

In his first real assignment at the recent Pan Am Senior Cycling Championship in Aguacalientes, Mexico, the Trinidad and Tobago riders returned home triumphantly.

Christopher Sellier won a gold medal and set a Pan Am record in the Kilo; Njisane Phillip got a silver medal in the Match Sprint while the team received a bronze in the sprint.

These performances came after an intensive two-week camp in Los Angeles, USA where the cyclists prepared for the Pan Am challenges.

Hartwell, a former Olympic and world championship medallist described the appointment as the “greatest time in his life”. He explained that his intention is to create an environment where every cyclist will be able to “perform in comfort”.

He told Newsday that he awaits good things from Trinidad and Tobago on the international stage as so much talent exists.

“And the good thing I realised at the camp is that all the riders were on the same page. So they are all ready to work hard for the betterment of themselves and the country in the future,” Hartwell said.