NATIONAL TEAM
Pathways
Cayman Cycling is committed to the long-term development of our athletes’ success as well as increasing the number of athletes who represent us on an international level.
Being selected to represent your country in anything you do is always an honor and cycling is no different. Equally important is understanding the pathways that an athlete can take to achieve that honor.
Along with the continued support for our current national athletes, we must ensure a steady flow of talent in the sport that will bring the next champions of cycling to the forefront. It is important for us to create initiatives to achieve this goal, thus we continue to work on the logistics and criteria for opportunities that will create pathways for athletes looking to represent their country at an international level.
National Development Team
The goal of a new National Development Team will be educating and empowering the top local-based junior, U23 and elite men and women riders in the Cayman Islands to succeed at the highest levels of competitive cycling. Consistent high-level training and meaningful racing opportunities will aim to develop smarter, more prepared, resilient athletes who will stay engaged with the sport in the long-term. Qualified athletes will be identified as emerging talents by the Cayman Cycling board and/or national coach and would be able to represent the country at the various international meets and key events identified in the International Events section.
Affiliate Athletes
Our sport is vast, diverse, and constantly evolving and as such so is our athlete base able to represent us. Being a small nation, our athletes are often not locally based so a mechanicism must be availble to allow them compete under the Cayman flag. These affiliate athletes, those whose primary coach is not a National Team Coach, are eligible for selection to the National Team, once a submission has been submitted and approved by the selection committee.
National Championships
The glory associated with being recognised as the best in your country is always a top achievement for any athlete. Our annual Individual Time Trial & Road Race National Championships will serve as a pathway for Caymanian cyclists to represent their country. The winners of the various divisions will gain entry into the National Development Team and also form part of the representation of Cayman at future international races.
Youth Programs
As a future initiative, we see BMX as a great pathway for young cyclists to get started in the sport. It is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in cycling today, teaching key cycling skills, confidence, and safety awareness – skills that will carry them forward in the sport at every level and connect them through the challenges of cycling. The benefits of this are two-fold: our athletes that display a significant BMX talent can be kept on an Olympic pathway in that discipline, or, an athlete can be transitioned to road cycling if their skill set leans more in that direction. Excellence in this discipline will feed in to the other strategic areas, including adding athletes to the National Development Team at the Junior level (under 18).
