A Taste of the Olympics: Wind tunnel, Caribbean, Malaysia and BMX…

Here are the highlights of the Olympics in London (7th of August).

Real hope in Cuba

A trainee  at the World Cycling Centre (WCC), Lisandra Guerra yesterday achieved an excellent performance in the Individual Sprint event. The Cuban rider finished 6th in the competition and succeeded in beating a former WCC athlete – the Chinese Guo Shuang, over one of the three rounds in the quarter-finals. “It was a fierce competition, but it turned out very well and we’re happy,” commented Hector Ruiz, her coach in Cuba.

Spotlight on the Caribbean

A revelation in the Individual Sprint event, Njisane Phillip (4th) hoisted high the flag of Trinidad and Tobago, this Caribbean state with a population of only 1.22 million inhabitants. He explained: “You’ve got Australia, France, Great Britain. These are the biggest cycling nations, but just to see that little red flag there… I broke down this morning. It was great.” Phillip, 21, hopes to do better in 2016 at the Rio Games. By then, this young rider, who trains all year in the United States, would like to see his country equipped with cycling infrastructures.

A Malaysian fan club

Sixth in the Men’s Keirin and eighth in the Sprint, Azizulhasni Awang graced the Malaysian colours during the competition. He thanked his many supporters: “It’s good to know that Malaysians are there behind me and that there are people who care. It makes the journey worthwhile”. From a very rural area of his home and country, and of modest origins, “Azizul”, who is 25 years old, got the support of his mother on site as she was able to afford the trip, thanks to the sponsorship of a major milk brand.

Technology



The British are not alone in their quest for new technologies to help them progress in track cycling. Thus the “hot pants”, which keep muscles at 38°C between the warm-up and the competition, are also used by the New Zealanders and the Australians. The latter have even built a remarkable wind tunnel at Monash University, which can hold not just one rider but the entire pursuit squad.

Rock and roll for BMX

The BMX favourites love the London track which they got to know during training yesterday. The 2011 World Champion

To read the whole story, visit here: http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=ODU1Ng&MenuId=MTI2Mjc

Related posts: