The following article was first published in The Trinidad Express on Sunday 24th July, 2022.
The national junior cyclist, Devante Laurence, is represented by Chambers members, Matthew Gayle, Dr. Emir Crowne, and Amy Rajkumar. You can read the entire article on The Trinidad Express website HERE.
National junior cyclist Devante Laurence has successfully filed a temporary High Court injunction preventing the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) from registering its selected cyclists for next month’s UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships (JTCWC) in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The registration period for the August 23-27 championship, opened on July 18 and is due to close on July 31.
Laurence’s injunction was filed on his behalf by his club Arima Wheelers Cycling Club (AWCC) on July 20, and was granted on July 21.
According to the affidavit filed by AWCC president Joel Browne, the decision by the TTCF to not select Laurence on the basis on him not attaining the qualifying standard in the Flying 200, despite him registering the fastest time, was inherently flawed.
Browne put forward that the TTFC’s constitution gives the governing body the power to invoke a “discretionary selection criteria” for cyclists failing to attain the qualifying standard, which the TTCF invoked last year in selecting junior female Phoebe Sandy and junior male Ryan D’Abreau to the 2021 JTCWC in Egypt, on the basis of both recording the fastest times at the trials, since no cyclists, male or female, met the qualifying standard last year.
He said the same treatment afforded Sandy and D’Abreau last year, was being denied to Laurence this time around.
Another point of contention in Browne’s affidavit was that Laurence’s selection would come at no financial cost to the TTCF.
Chapter 13 of the Constitution states that cyclists selected on the basis of the discretionary criteria will be required to provide his/her own financial support as it relates to airfare, accommodation, meals and other travel expenses.
Browne noted that Laurence’s parents have agreed to fully fund his trip, and this was brought to the attention of the TTCF.
The Express was supplied with copies of the documents filed in the injunction, which showed that AWCC wrote to the TTCF on July 2 seeking Laurence’s inclusion on the national team. But that request was denied in a response from the TTCF on July 10, stating that only cyclists who made the qualifying standard will be selected.
A pre-action protocol letter to the TTCF on July 13, highlighting its failure to use the discretionary selection criteria, was responded to via a letter from TTCF secretary Claire Orr, indicating there were no vacant spots on the team.
Browne contends that the claim of no vacant spots is another flawed decision since the invitation to the trials stated that it will be used to fill vacant spots for the junior men and women Flying 200 (which serves as qualification for the Sprint and Keirin events), junior men 3km individual pursuit and 1km time trial, and the junior women’s 500m time trial events. And since no junior male cyclist attained the qualifying standard in the Flying 200, it means that vacant spot has not been filled.
He also highlighted several other factors that negatively impacted on Laurence’s performance.
He said despite all cyclists suffering from a lack of competition for almost three years due the impact of Covid-19, the TTCF saw it fit last November to raise the qualifying standard for the Flying 200 for junior males from 10.850 seconds to 10.80 seconds, while the standard for junior females was not raised.
He also noted that Laurence suffered a Grade 2 muscle tear while competing at this year’s Easter Grand Prix in April, and the injury along with his rehabilitation, would have not only negatively affected his training schedule but also the level of intensity of his training.
Browne noted that despite this setback, Laurence was able to be fastest among the junior males at the trials with a time of 11.518 seconds.
He stated the record will show that the top 50 times at last year’s JTCWC ranged from 11.203 to 18 seconds, and that the 11.00 second qualifying standard for last year’s Pan American Junior Cycling Championships was not achieved by any of the junior cyclists in the Pan Am region.
Noting that this is Laurence’s last opportunity of making a national junior team, Browne said: “Making your first national team is a special achievement. To see this opportunity come and then go, was heart-breaking.
“We see this as an opportunity to give our aspiring cyclists some exposure and competition that would certainly serve them well, and by extension Trinidad and Tobago.”
He noted however, that the inconsistent approach to selecting team members will only frustrate young athletes and ultimately discourage them from competing.
When the Express contacted TTCF president Rowena Williams yesterday, she said it was the Federation’s policy to not comment on matters before the court.
The matter, which was scheduled to be heard last Friday, comes up for hearing tomorrow.
Laurence is being represented by attorneys Matthew Gayle and Dr Emir Crowne, with Amy Rajkumar as the instructing attorney.
