Gordon’s part in Olympic Gold

WHILST the whole of the British cycling fraternity was celebrating England?s Nicole Cooke?s gold medal at the Beijing Olympics this week, a Thame man had a particular reason for feeling rather proud of himself too.
For Gordon Wright, of Cromwell Avenue, Thame, has been Nicole?s trainer for the past year ? mainly planning and overseeing her training schedule based on feedback via email and mobile phone!
Although Gordon has known Nicole since she was a 10 year-old grass track event and Roller race competitor, she is currently based in Switzerland from where she had been in constant contact with Gordon here in Thame.
Gordon described how he watched the race unfold from his sofa in the early hours of Sunday morning, as it was being broadcast live from Beijing on TV:
?The race conditions were appalling,? said Gordon. ?The rain poured down, making crashes more likely and therefore a very risky event.
?But Nicole played a very cagey game by waiting, always keeping in touch with the leading group until about the last 10 or 12 kilometres when her winning moves unfolded. One I saw her move away from the remnants with the leading five riders, I knew it was a ?done deal? because Nichole has a very strong sprint and I knew then she would be up for a medal.
?In the last 200 metre, up-hill finish, she attacked, took the lead and was first over the line.
?I must admit I was very emotional by this point ? usually I am a calm and collected sort of a person, but Nicole had come a very long way ? from that little girl I first met Roller racing at Mildenhall, through becoming Junior World Champion and now this – this was the culmination of that journey.?

Gordon added that he was very proud to have been asked by Nicole?s father, Tony, to help with her training, and that the moment when she become Britain’s first Olympic medallist in the women’s road race, was undoubtedly the pinnacle of his 30 year career as a trainer.

Gordon is long-time stalward and President of the Wycombe Cycle Club and has trained, among others, Stuart Dangerfield who rode for Great Britain in Athens in 2004.

Photo: Nicole Cooke on a static cycle turbo trainer warming up alongside some other competitors, just before starting a time trial. Gordon Wright (wearing his Wycombe Cycle club colours) looks on supervising her warm up procedure.