Saturday, July 4, 2009

St.Lucia’s Sydney Charles Wins OECS Cycling Championship

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3 comments:

john mangal said...

Good ride Sydney it has been long overdue. Still felt we could have done much better. An improvment in team work, however according to my sources we still have a few who were still bent on their individual performances thereby jeopodising our chances of having two riders in the top 3.In light of the victory i am deeply concerned about this attitude. In a race of higher standard we would pay the price dearly for such selfish riding. On another note the organisers should not have compromised the integrity of the event by allowing the women in. Even if they were not given race numbers we have the media reporting their finish when officially they were not part of the race. If there it is the time for a womens championship we do it but we should not compromise the integrity of the championship.

July 5, 2009 at 1:54 PM
Kathryn Bertine said...

I must first thank the race organizers for such a wonderful OECS championship. My entire team from SKN had a terrific experience at the event. But in response to John Mangal's comment of "the organizers should not have compromised the integrity of the event by allowing the women in" well, I can only say I'm sorry to hear of such backward, outdated thinking. Women's cycling is here to stay. There is no integrity compromised in matters of fairness and equality. I finished 11th in the OECS championship,finishing in the same time as racers #4-#10. I finished ahead of ten other men, more if you count any who dropped out. The male racers in my peloton shook my hand in sportsmanship, as did the male and female spectators. Usually, comments like Mangal's are few, but just one proves too many. Someday St. Lucia will send a female cyclist to the Olympics, but until that happens let's work together to show that both men and women have a equal, strong, and bright future in Caribbean cycling.
-Kathryn Bertine, SKN

July 13, 2009 at 10:08 AM
john mangal said...

Interesting Miss Bertin. It is a pathetic attempt by you to portray me as against women cycling. Your talk about equality is a sorry attempt to play on the ignorance of those you perceive not to know better. As a United States citizen do women race together with men in your national championships? Do you see it happening in the panamerican cycling championships,the world cycling championships? Do you see Usain Bolt and ShellyAnn Frazer running in the same event? The simple point is that i have no problems with women cycling and is simply making the point that a womens championship event must be separate to the male championships as is the norm all over. I am aware that there are mixed events but it happens at the domestic and local level where it belongs. In your quest for self promotion you sought to blow smoke over the issue. Anybody could just google your name online and they will understand your motive and how you came to represent St.Kitts and Nevis.It is dishonest of you to claim a placing when you are well aware you were not officially part of the race. That was indicated to you by the commissaire before the start of the event. It also equaly dishonest of you to include on your profile that on june 28th you placed 1st female and 11th among the male field in the caribben championships in St.Lucia. Since when has the OECS Cycling championships turned to the Caribbean cycling Championships? There is indeed a caribbean cycling championships which includes both men and women's race.The last and only caribban championships to be held in StLucia was in the year 2004. Miss Bertin ihave nothing wrong with women cycling and you promoting it however you seem to be a stranger to the truth in your quest for self promotion. You need to quit beleiving that caribbean people are backward and don't understand the stunt you are trying to pull here with your equality B/S. Pedal your gabbage to someone who is ignorant about the sport of cycling.When i see you bring in some native Kittitian and Nevisian to the team you would own my respect. As of now it seems to be all about you.

September 1, 2009 at 6:46 PM

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