Local cycling is gearing up to saddle yet another young track star.
Add Liam Lovell’s name to the sport’s ever-growing group of rising talents following last week’s breakout performance at the National Track Championships which saw the gifted teen sweep the juvenile division’s sprints.
It’s just the latest story of Lovell’s rise from obscurity that started just two and a half years ago when the unlikely prospect picked up a bike for the very first time.
But coach Colin Forde, father of former world-rated cyclist Barry Forde, always believed in the raw speed that the then 13-year-old initially showcased on that first ever ride.
And Lovell more than delivered on the talent that promised so much, taking the match sprint, 500 and keirin to announce himself as one of the country’s best young sprinters.
He might very well be among the best in Barbados – regardless of age.
In the flying 200 metres, Lovell posted an impressive 12.02 second-clocking which stood as the championships’ third fastest time overall behind seniors Javed Mounter and Jamol Eastmond.
“It was nothing short of phenomenal,” said CGI G4S Team Swift manager David Matthews of the performance of the club’s latest breakout star.
“His progress has been astounding and it’s just a reflection of his great attitude towards his training and workouts. He has taken in everything Colin has been teaching him and working extremely hard in the gym with trainer Euclid Ifill at the Jeffrey Watkins Gym, so all the hard work is now paying off.”
His performances even has coach Forde envisioning Lovell being ready to contest the 2014 Junior Olympics after the 15-year-old cyclist would have spent less than five years in the sport.
However, Forde is looking at having his young ward try his hand at next year’s Junior Pan American Cycling Championships first, after attending smaller meets like Trinidad’s Easter Classic and other regional tours.
“We actually hope he can develop to be better than Barry [Forde] because he truly is a talented sprinter,” said Matthews.
“But we have to get him exposed first and start him at some smaller meets and see where it goes from there. We also have to look at acquiring some individual sponsorship for him because he already has to look for a bike which will cost him at least $10 000.”
