WITH Jamaica failing to qualify a cyclist for the 2012 London Olympics, new president of the Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF), Edward Harper, has outlined a timetable for the next two years.

“Our basic objectives now is to improve the visibility of sport; improve the communication between the Federation, the cycling community and the public; improve on the internal structure of the Federation by revising its constitution; foster and create more cycling events and structure a development plan for youth,” said Harper.

A former general secretary of the JCF, Harper took over as president last week from Christian Tavares-Finson. Winston Brown is now the first vice-president and Dr Wayne Palmer the second vice-president.

All other members of the executive are returning; namely, general secretary Marvin Anderson, assistant secretary Owen Cardoza, treasurer Robert Thomson, and assistant treasurer Arthur Tenn.

Harper is hoping for a return of cycling to the National Stadium regularly, such as before matches with the Reggae Boyz, during the breaks of Boys and Girls Champs, at Dover races, and as a part of the Jamaica 50 Independence Celebrations.

“We have been a part of Independence celebrations at the Stadium in the past and we’re hoping for this to happen again this year and if possible, be a part of any other Jamaica 50 celebrations,” he added.

While elite riders Marloe Rodman and ONeil Samuels are currently competing abroad, Harper pointed out that the JCF would be “looking to improve on our presence on the international circuit”.

Recruited to the sport since 2004 to help out with races, Harper soon became race commissaire for Jamaica. He is a trained national commissaire from world cycling body UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale, translated into English as International Cycling Union).

Though yet to meet and approve with his executive on the way forward, Harper, in the short term, wants to “increase visibility, improve the overall structure by amending the constitution for the cycling federation, and get a race calendar together for the summer and the rest of the year”.

Cycling is the only other sport, apart from track and field, in which Jamaica has won a medal at the Olympic Games.

David Weller was a bronze medallist in the men’s 1,000m time trial at the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympic Games.

East German Lothar Thomas won the event in a world record 1:02.955, ahead of Soviet Union’s Aleksandr Panfilov, 1:04.845, and 23-year-old Weller, 1:05.241.

Seventeen cyclists, all men, have represented Jamaica at the Summer Olympic Games from 1952 to 2008. Honson Chin, at 16 years, 234 days was the youngest cyclist to represent Jamaica when he competed in the men’s sprint at the 1972 Munich Games in West Germany.

Jamaica oldest cyclist Olympian is Arthur Tenn, the current assistant treasurer, who was 28 years, 141 days while competing in the individual road race at the 1992 Barcelona Games in Spain.