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Author Topic: Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'  (Read 5775 times)

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Offline Flex

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Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'
« on: August 14, 2012, 04:48:23 AM »
Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'
By —Kern De Freitas (Express).


He fell just short of an Olympic medal, left a little "Trini flavour" in London, and watched his younger Trinidad and Tobago teammate, javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott, earn this country's first Olympic gold medal in 36 years.

Now track cyclist Njisane Phillip is even hungrier to taste Olympic success in four years' time at Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Phillip, in his first trip to the world's biggest sporting stage, only just missed out on T&T's first cycling sprint medal and placed seventh in the keirin, one spot shy of the final.

"I had a long season and no excuses from me [for my performances at London 2012]," Phillip told the media yesterday at Piarco International Airport after returning home from the Olympic Games.

"I had a great time just being on the Olympic circuit and I did my best, I came up fourth. It just makes me more hungry, showed me that I'm closer to all the guys in the world. So 2016 we'll see how it goes."

At the London Velodrome, Phillip proved a fan favourite as the crowd cheered him on to upsets over German Robert Forstemann and Denis Dmitriev in the round of 16 and quarter-final round, respectively.

"I was just doing my thing," Phillip explained, "adding a little Trini flavour to the velodrome and the crowd definitely liked it. I was just out there having fun."

The cyclist is keen now to take a break from the action and spend time with family and friends before resuming training next season.

But T&T Cycling Federation (TTCF) president Rowena Williams believes Phillip's performances have stretched beyond Olympic competition.

"What Njisane has done for us has boosted the sport, given the young people more encouragement to fight and [to] focus and set their goals," she told the Express. "We [the TTCF] are looking at how we can expand the [athlete] pool, and make sure Njisane is not the only cyclist representing [T&T] at the next Olympics."

She pointed out that since his impressive showings in London, locals are now more interested in cycling and what Phillip has done and Williams also hopes that will translate into more assistance and better facilities for the sport.

As for the TTCF, Williams said the Federation could not be more proud of T&T's lone cyclist at the Games.

"(The Federation) expressed their gratitude for what Njisane has done for cycling and we can't ask for more from him," she stated. "He did his best."

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2012, 04:51:44 AM »
Praise for Phillip, pleas for more help
By Garth Wattley (Express).


Two former national cycling champions want to see Njisane Phillip's efforts at the Olympics encourage greater investment in the development of the sport.

Both Gene "Geronimo" Samuel, who before Phillip had been the closest T&T rider to an Olympic medal, with fourth spot in the kilometre time trial at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and Michael Phillips, CAC kilo medallist and former Cycling Federation president, hold this view.

In London last week, Phillip equalled Samuel's fourth placing, but this time in the match sprint, when he was beaten for the bronze medal by Shane Perkins of Australia, having earlier lost out in straight rides to eventual gold medallist Jason Kenny of Great Britain in the semi-finals.

Njisane also placed in the top eight in the keirin event, winning the race for spots 7-12.

Both men praised those efforts, even Phillip's getting into the Olympic competition itself.

"A top eight finish is a fantastic performance," said Samuel, who also stated: "I expected him to have a very good chance at a top four finish.

"We know what Njisane can do. I've seen him come from strength to strength. We admire his discipline and focus."

Phillips described 20-year-old Nijsane's effort as "extremely encouraging".

He noted: "He is only one of three people from Western Hemipshere that would have qualified for the sprint events.

"I think, to me, the top eight was very predictable. Top four was very accomplishable. I thought a bronze medal (was possible) had he not made any errors. Unfortunately the lack of experience at that level would have got the better of him in that bronze ride-off."

For Samuel, however, Phillip, who was thought to have a better chance for medals in the 2016 Olympiad in Rio, "was only beaten by faster men on the day in the Olympics. He did everything he could have done and tried (tactically). They were just a bit faster than him, I have no doubt he will be as fast as them in four years."

Whereas javelin gold medallist Keshorn Walcott trains and is coached at home by his Cuban coach, Phillip was prepared for his Olympic effort by former British Olympic medallist Jaime Staff, who is currently in charge of the United States cyclists.

Samuel said: What we achieved as a (T&T) team was so mind-blowing. We are blessed in the Caribbean, we just need the support."

In this regard, he would like to see a cycling velodrome built in the Port of Spain region, in addition to the track that is earmarked for Couva. Phillips agreed.

And noting that Walcott was a product of a talent identification drive by the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA), the ex-Federation president said: "It is not a matter of Njisane wanting to win a medal. It is a matter of whether or not the country wants to win Olympic medals in the sport of cycling...I hope it (Phillip's effort) is not success in isolation. I hope it brings a level of motivation for younger riders."

The former cyclist also said he hoped Phillip's fourth place encouraged a different approach to funding.

"We still have a very reactive view of dealing with our elite athletes," he said.

"They get to a certain level on their own (before getting funding), but that creates a time lag in their development. Elite athlete funding has helped T&T sport...(but) we have to go to elite athlete infrastructure (now)."

Explaining, he said money that now goes to athletes to prepare for competition should be used by the authorities themselves to prepare and develop them.

"Your reward will be separate and apart from the cost of your training expenses," said Phillips.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2020, 04:59:13 PM »
CAS: Honest mistake by cyclist Phillip.
By Keith Clement (Guardian).


Panam decision to strip T&T of medals upheld

The decision by Panam Sports to strip Trinidad and Tobago of two of its medals won in cycling at 2019 Lima Games in Peru in July/August because of claims of a failed drug test, has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sports on Tuesday in the matter involving T&T cyclist Njisane Phillip vs Panam Sports following.

According to a Panam Sports release, after confirming the decision of the Panam Sports Ad Hoc Disciplinary Commission of November 15, 2019.

In its 2019 Boxing Day release, the Panam Sports organisation indicated that the Men’s Team Sprint gold and Men’s Individual Sprint medals have been since reallocated after positive doping result. The latest development means that in the Men's Individual and Team Sprint event, the gold medal has been awarded to Colombia, the silver to Mexico and the bronze to Peru, while Nicholas Paul keeps his Men's Individual Pursuit gold medal.

T&T's total medal count has now been reduced from 13 to 11 overall.

The T&T sprint team comprised - Njisane Phillip, Nicholas Paul, Kwesi Browne and Keron Bramble.

At the games, Trinidad and Tobago had secured a one-two finish with Paul and Phillip at the event after Paul beat Phillip in a best –of- three ride-off for the gold medal on Aug. 3, 2019.

In the semi-finals of the match sprint, Phillip got the better of Canelon while Paul cruised past Quintero for the right to contest the gold medal race.

The new results for the team sprint event also showed Colombia taking the top position at the expense of T&T, ahead of second-placed Mexico and third Peru.

However, according to the Panam Sports release yesterday, "Panam Sports wishes to state that the prohibited substance found in the sample provided by Mr. Phillip is not considered a performance-enhancing substance and believes that regardless of the award by the CAS that confirmed the decision of the Panam Sports Ad Hoc Disciplinary Commission, Mr. Phillip had no intention of cheating or having any unfair advantage over his competitors. Panam Sports believes that Mr. Phillip is an honest athlete that made a mistake and that he is committed to learn from the experience."

Meanwhile, CAS confirmed the following:

* That athlete Njisane Phillip did commit, during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, an anti-doping rule violation contrary to Article 2.1 of Panam Sports Anti-Doping Rules on account of the presence of a prohibited substance in a sample provided by him.

* To disqualify the results obtained by the athlete during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and order the forfeiture and return of the gold medal won in the team sprint event and the silver medal won in the individual sprint event, both in the sport of cycling.

* To disqualify the result obtained by the Trinidad & Tobago team in the team sprint event of the sport of cycling held on August 1, 2019, during the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and order the forfeiture and return by all of the team members of the gold medals won in this event.

Also, Panam Sports would like to express that it will continue its efforts in the fight against any kind of doping in sport and welcomes the response of Mr. Njisane Phillip with regard to the award, in which he asserts that in spite of the offence, he condemns all kinds of doping in sport.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Olympic experience leaves Njisane 'hungry'
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2020, 10:55:43 PM »
So what is this substance ?

 

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