Guyanese Briton John won bronze in the gruelling Men’s Elite Road Race at the Caribbean Elite/Under-23 Cycling Championship in Guyana on Sunday.
Competing in the 94-mile race on the Heroes Highway, John became just the fourth Guyanese to ever make the podium at the Senior Caribbean Championship.
He finished behind Cory Williams of Belize (gold) and Jesus Cespedes (silver) of the Dominican Republic in a hotly contested sprint finish.
Cory Williams of Belize celebrates his gold medal performance upon crossing the line. Briton John is at right (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/November 3, 2024)
The last Guyanese to medal at the Championship was Tony Simon, who copped bronze in the Road Race in Barbados in 2009.
Prior to that, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams won Guyana’s only gold at the prestigious event in the Road Race in St. Lucia in 2004, while three years earlier in Aruba, Dwayne Gibbs took bronze in the Individual Time Trial.
After the medal-winning performance, John spoke to News Room’s Sport Editor Avenash Ramzan (WATCH BELOW)
Guyanese Denise Jeffrey defies the odds
Denise Jeffrey rides past cheering family members and supporters on the Heroes Highway (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/November 3, 2024)
‘When I put on this uniform, I get goosebumps’
Meanwhile, Guyanese Denise Jeffrey may not have made the podium in the Women’s Elite Road Race of the Senior Caribbean Cycling Championship on Sunday, but she certainly won hearts on the Heroes Highway in Guyana.
Old enough to be the mother of her competitors, the majority of whom were Under-23 Elite riders, Jeffrey, 57, displayed great mental fortitude, braving the searing midday and early afternoon heat to complete the gruelling four-lap race, which covered approximately 42 miles.
Jeffrey, a former national squash player, fell behind the peloton early in the race, but that was no deterrent for this tough Guyanese woman, who, with very little preparation, kept pedaling like her life depended on it.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to prepare as I should, but I did the best that I could and the main thing was to finish the race,” Jeffrey told News Room Sport.
“Words cannot explain. There is something about when I put on this uniform, it gives me goosebumps. The pride that I feel is amazing.”
Guyanese Denise Jeffrey at the start line (Photo: News Room/Avenash Ramzan/November 3, 2024)With her son Kristian on a motorcycle behind her throughout, Denise pushed her boundaries and got the admiration of every single spectator who gathered on the sidelines.
Her family- including husband Kevin, daughters Kimberly and Kayla, brother Dwayne Shuffler, and sisters Kathy and Alana- and close friends keep cheering Denise, whose ultimate aim was to finish the race and keep the Golden Arrowhead flying high.
That she did, making her mark on debut at the Caribbean championship!
Click here to view full Road Race results
Below are the summarised results
The Individual Time Trial was held on Saturday (November 2) on the Heroes Highway, signalling the start of the Senior Championship.
READ MORE: White, Morales, Paul and Quezada are Caribbean Time Trial champs
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