Weller backs Palmer for Tokyo berth

Olympic cycling legend David Weller has exhorted current Caribbean cycling champion Dahlia Palmer to persevere in her bid to qualify for the 2020 Olympics. Weller offered words of wisdom to Palmer on Saturday at the JAAA/JAMALCO Development Meet. He was among six Olympians honoured by the organisers of the meet. His tip to Palmer was to take her Olympic-bound journey step by step.

Weller, who is the only Jamaican to win an Olympic medal in a sport other than athletics, understands better than most what it means to aim for cycling. “You know, when I look back at my own experience of cycling, and being against the odds, Jamaica is not traditionally a cycling country, [and] as we all know, [it] still isn’t,” he said. “Just persevere, put one foot in front of the next, and enjoy the journey, you know, enjoy the journey and live good, live clean.”

In an inference to doping in sport during his era as an active athlete, the 1980 Olympic bronze medallist explained, “I had to say that because we’re now discovering that a lot of people didn’t, so encourage Dahlia to put one foot in front of the next and always stick to it, and the results will speak to themselves.”

WELLER GRATEFUL

Weller was grateful for the honour bestowed on him. “I’m amazed at what the promoters of this event have done over the years”, he said. “When I got an opportunity to come here, especially to get the award, I’m very pleased.”

Notably, he was awarded the Order of Distinction after his historic bronze-medal rise at the 1980 Moscow Games.

Weller competed for Jamaica in the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Olympics, closing his international career with sixth place in the kilometre time-trial event despite a painful pre-meet wrist injury.

Since then, alongside his long career in aviation, the two-time Jamaica Sportsman of the Year has coached cyclists in the United States. In the 2000 Olympics, he served as coach to Jamaica’s Iona Wynter in the triathlon.

The other honourees were Olympic sprinters Lennox Miller, Clifton Forbes, Errol Stewart, Horace Levy and Alfred Daley. Miller, the 1968 and 1972 Olympic 100m medallist, and Forbes were awarded posthumously.

Stewart, Michael Fray, Forbes and Miller equalled and broke the 4x100m relay world record at the 1968 Olympics. Levy was part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team in 1972 and Daley, the 1971 CAC 400m champion, was part of three Olympic teams and helped Jamaica to fifth in the 4x400m relay in 1976.