Trinidad and Tobago’s elite track cyclists are beginning their campaign towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games at the 2026 UCI Track World Championships in Shanghai, China. The championships run from October 14 to 18 and mark the start of the track cycling qualification journey for the next Olympics.
A seven-member Trinidad and Tobago team is competing at the event, with Nicholas Paul, Njisane Phillip and Zion Pulido scheduled to combine in the men’s team sprint on the opening day. Their qualifying round features 18 nations, including the Netherlands, identified in the report as world record holders, as well as Great Britain, Australia, France and Japan.
Paul will have additional opportunities to compete, entering both the individual sprint and keirin alongside the team sprint. His three-event programme gives him several opportunities to test himself against international opposition during the championships.
The wider team includes Kwesi Browne, Makaira Wallace, Alexi Costa-Ramirez and Teniel Campbell. Ian Cole and Elisha Greene are serving in team management. Wallace is entered in the women’s individual sprint and keirin, while Costa-Ramirez will compete in the women’s elimination race.
Campbell is scheduled to contest the women’s scratch race, omnium and points race. Her scratch race is set for the opening day, while the men’s keirin and women’s individual sprint qualifying rounds, together with the women’s elimination event, are scheduled for October 15.
The remaining programme includes the women’s omnium and the women’s sprint semi-finals and final on Friday. The men’s sprint qualifying round is scheduled for Saturday, followed by its semi-finals and final on Sunday. The women’s keirin and points race are also due to be decided on Sunday.
The team’s preparations were overshadowed by a selection dispute involving Campbell and Costa-Ramirez over the women’s points race. The Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation acknowledged that it had incorrectly applied its selection policy when it initially allocated the event to Costa-Ramirez.
Following a review, the federation reassigned the points-race place to Campbell, while Costa-Ramirez remained selected for the elimination race. Costa-Ramirez’s attorney, Dr Emir Crowne, subsequently confirmed that his client would not seek an injunction that could jeopardise Campbell’s participation. Crowne placed responsibility for the controversy on the federation.
With that selection issue addressed, the team’s focus turns to competition in Shanghai. The championships provide the first international test in the Olympic qualification campaign, with Trinidad and Tobago’s riders facing established cycling nations as they seek to strengthen their prospects for Los Angeles 2028.
