By Joe Chapman
Guyana’s two-time Olympian James ‘Joelyn’ Joseph, kept the Golden Arrowhead flying at this year’s recent International Cycling Union (UCI) World Masters Track Cycling Championships.
The event, which was staged at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, England, ended last Saturday after eight days of competition.
Some eighteen-world championship Santini rainbow jerseys were handed out to riders from around the world, including one to ‘Joelyn’ Joseph, who won the Gold Medal in the 65-69 Men’s Match Sprint 200m race, his pet event.
He also gained a Silver Medal in the 500m Individual Time Trial and placed fifth in the 20 lap Scratch Race.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport after his return to his base in New York, Joseph noted “it was a different matter this time around, after his showing last year when he battled mechanical problems and could not place better than sixth place finishes in the 2022 UCI Match Sprint, Scratch and Time Trial and again was sixth also in the National Criterium Race in Augusta, Georgia earlier this year.”
This time around in Manchester, England, Joseph remarked his performances were great as he experienced no problems or stress.
Last Thursday, Joseph faced 15 qualifiers from around the world contesting the Men’s 65-69 Masters Sprint over a distance of 200m. This he won ahead of the USA’s Kurt Sato. Another USA cyclist Jay Wolkof came third.
Last Tuesday, the fourth day of the championships, James, competing in the Men’s 65-69 years’ 500m Time Trial, placed second to Australia’s Paul Jackson.
In the Scratch Race, Joseph noted this event had about 20 cyclists and in the bell lap “I was either 8th or 9th position as the cyclists were not steadying on their bikes,” and due to this he could not break through as he had to settle for fifth place.
It must be recalled that Joseph’s first showing at a world championship was the San Cristobal, Venezuela-held Senior UCI World Championship 46 years ago, when he placed 9th / 12th in the sprint in 1977.
Joseph had represented Guyana at two Olympic Games, the first was the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Russia; he finished 9th overall in the Match Sprint and 22nd at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.
In October 2017, Joseph shattered the then 200m Flying Start world record at the UCI’s World Masters Championship in California, riding in the 60-64 age group. He clocked the top time of 11.42 seconds in the Flying Start of the Match-Sprint race, which bettered the previous record of 11.73 set by Victor Copeland of USA.
