GUYANA'S representative at the just concluded International Olympic Committee's (IOC) 2008 Beijing Olympic Youth Camp, cyclist Geron Williams, is ecstatic with his experience while in Beijing during the 29th Olympiad.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport after returning to Guyana last Wednesday, Williams, Guyana's leading junior rider, both on the track and on the road, said being in Beijing and witnessing some of the events of the 2008 Olympics will remain in his mind for ever "It's an experience I'll never forget. It was so great, so unbelievable."
Williams, who along with Alika Morgan, was nominated by their respective associations (Guyana Cycling Federation and Athletic Association of Guyana) and selected by the Guyana Olympic Association to attend the Youth Camp, said he was thrilled at the sight of seeing Jamaica's Usain Bolt running the men's 100-metre event "Bolt ran so fast, I feel he could have just jogged the distance and still beat the field.”
The Jamaican won and set new Olympic and World records for the 100 as well as the 200-metre races at the just concluded event and was part of the winning Jamaica 4x100-metre men's relay team which set a new World and Olympic record also.
Williams, who only yesterday was greeted with the news that he secured nine passes at the CXC examinations and who has won several local and regional races here at home as well as in Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados, said Morgan and himself were housed at one of Beijing's middle schools, a facility that has two outdoor basketball courts and another indoor, two outdoor volleyball courts and another indoor, two football fields and a modern athletic track.
He said while in Beijing, he and the other campers, who were drawn from all over the world, were taken on several sight-seeing tours and he was and is still amazed with what he saw.
He said during the actual Olympics, he and Morgan were able to spend some time with the Guyanese athletes and officials in the Games Village "but it was just about an hour which was not enough for us to interact as we would have liked, with them."
He said he was able to witness Guyana's women national 200 and 400-metre record holder Aliann Pompey run the women's 400-metre heat in which she qualified for the semi-final.
He said Pompey ran really well for the first 300 metres but faded in the final 100-metre and opines that she might do much better if she concentrates on the 200-metre alone.
Asked what the Beijing experience has done for him, Williams who on Sunday won the junior category of the Ocean View International Hotel-sponsored Carifesta Road Race, even though he did no cycle training while in China and had a mere three days to prepare for Sunday's event, said the experience has inspired him to train even harder and one day represent Guyana at an Olympic Games - possibly the London 2012 Games - "but it's going to be a lot of hard work and while it is not impossible, I know I will have to put my mind to it."
He, however, said for him to qualify for such a level, he will have to train overseas and compete internationally for two to three years. "I must get international exposure and compete among some of the best riders in the world if I'm to reach Olympic standard. I know that I must get exposure at the Pan-American, World and Commonwealth Games if I'm to even think about qualifying for the Olympics."
Williams said while at the Youth Camp he made many friends from around the world and plans to chat with them on the Internet on a regular basis.
Williams gained Grade Two passes in English `A', Home Economics Management, Integrated Science, Office Administration and Social Studies, and Grade Three passes in Agriculture Science (double award), Mathematics and Principles of Business.
Asked what is in store for the young aspiring cyclist, Williams' mother Gemma Williams said there are some options but she wants her son to make the decision for himself and she will give him all the support he needs - financial and otherwise.
His father Glenn said he is happy with his son's performance both as an athlete and an academic and he will continue to give him the support he needs in his career, be it in the athletic or academic fields.
