Cycling stalwart Grant dies in accident

According to sources, Grant was doing road training with budding cyclist Rosanna Abraham when a vehicle allegedly veered onto the shoulder and collided with the duo. It was reported that the 42-year-old Grant was then rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he passed away. Abraham is still nursing injuries and is warded at the hospital.

This was the second time for the year however, that the cycling community lost another stalwart member, after former Rigtech Sonics coach Kent Luces’ sudden passing in early January.

Grant was a specialist sprinter who started cycling in 1987 with Corkie’s Casuals. A multiple National champion and a member of several National cycling teams in the 1990s and early 2000s, he switched his focus to coaching after his retirement from competitive cycling.

Along with Michael Phillip and Gene Samuel, he captured silver in the Team Sprint at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games to complement his bronze at the 1994 edition in the Men’s Sprint. The trio still holds the National record for the 1000m Team Sprint with a time of 1:01.160, since 1994.

Up until his unfortunate passing, Clinton was the head coach of the Bike Smith Cycling Club based in Arima. He also served as assistant national coach alongside Absie Rincon.

Grant’s final shot at national duty saw him as head coach for the National Junior team at the 2013 Junior Pan American Track Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico in July last year.

Issuing a press release on the sad news yesterday was Minister of Sport, Anil Roberts, who lauded the commitment and dedication that Grant injected into the cycling fraternity.

The sport minister also extended his condolences to the Grant family.

“Shocked, dismayed, saddened. Clinton Grant was a true national patriot, even after dedicated years of national service through his representation of the red, white and black, he choose to give back to the local cycling fraternity via his coaching efforts and his active promotion and advocacy for the sport. He was an example of how to be a great cyclist, a great coach and a great citizen. The country will mourn both the athlete and the man,” said a sombre Roberts.

Minister Roberts noted that Grant had dedicated his life to the sport of cycling representing the country at regional and international levels and even after leaving active competition was still involved through his coaching of the Bike Smith Cycle Team.

The former swim coach also urged motorists to be more vigilant on the road and respectful of cyclists who do road training as part of their endurance conditioning.

“There have been at least six incidents reported in the last three weeks regarding motorists not demonstrating the necessary caution with cyclists on the roads, I am urging our citizens to exercise more patience and courtesy on our roads, the cyclist you come across training on the road could be our next Olympic medallist, or national hero or it could simply be one of your own ‘Trinbagonian’ brothers just giving back to his community and country.”