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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
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| Jamie Popham |
Irish MTB racing has suffered a big blow with the news that one of its most promising young riders, Jamie Popham, has announced his retirement.
In a press release issued earlier this week, the 20 year old listed a number of reasons for the shock decision. Monetary conditions are a big factor, these including the controversial decision by the Irish Sports Council to exclude non-Olympic athletes from the International Carding scheme in 2006, plus the reduced funding for international teams. The lack of a sponsorship deal has also made things very difficult.
Popham stated that the lingering effects of a broken ankle suffered in 2004 has also played a part.
The Bray rider highlighted his talent when he finished an excellent fifth in the 2003 European junior championships. He also became the first non-British rider to win a NPS series in the UK when he took the junior series. In 2004 he started the season as highest ranked junior in the world and repeated his fifth place in the European championships for that category. However, hopes of a strong ride in the world championships was dashed due to the ankle injury he suffered in the run-up to the race. He was 23rd there.
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| Jamie Popham in action |
Despite his excellent promise, Popham was overlooked for a grant last year by the Irish Sports Council. He appealed the decision and was just one of nine Irish sportspeople to succeed in being re-awarded funding. However, while he secured €4,600, this was far less than the amount he needed to ride a full international programme last season.
‘I am disappointed with the result of the appeal as I had applied for an international grant of €11,500, which has been refused,’ he said at the time. ‘While the grant of €4,600 will help, the cost of my race season including the eight races of the World Cup Series in 2005 is approximately €20,000. This figure excludes all equipment.’
‘Some of the races are in Canada, Brazil and the USA and so, without some private sponsorship, my full race programme for 2005 is now in doubt.’
Popham received some welcome assistance from Eircom towards the end of the season and this enabled him to do more races than would otherwise have been possible. He had finished second to Ben Reid in the Irish national downhill championships in Mallow, Co. Cork, and was 36th and 40th against far older riders in the World Cup events in Canada and the US. He went to the world championships hoping for a good ride but crashed heavily on the morning of the race. It was thought he would have to pull out of the championships but he insisted on competing, finishing a brave 62nd.
Popham’s junior results had showed him to be a real prospect for the future and indeed he and Ben Reid were described by former World Cup winner Steve Peat as strong talents. However it seems now, regrettably, that his career has come to a close. The decision by the Irish Sports Council to exclude downhill mountainbiking from the International Carding Scheme is both one of the reasons for the loss of this talent and also an example of the one-dimensional overemphasis on Olympic events within the system.
It seems that the real prospect of strong performances in future world championships is no longer enough.
PRESS RELEASE:
Jamie Popham has announced his retirement from International Downhill Mountain Bike racing.
Jamie has been racing mountain bikes for twelve years, riding professionally for the last three years. His versatility as a cyclist has seen him compete in Down Hill, Cross Country, 4 Cross, BMX, Road and Track. He has raced in Europe, America, Canada, Singapore, Britain and Ireland.
He has represented Ireland at four World Championships and two European Championships. He has won nine Irish National titles in both Cross Country and Downhill. In 2003 he became the first Irish rider to ever win a British Downhill National Points Series Title and also became the highest ranked junior in the World.
The decision by the Irish Sports Council to exclude non Olympic athletes from the International Carding Scheme for 2006 plus the reduced funding available for International competition , added to a lack of a sponsorship deal has the made the prospect of competing in the World Cup Series in 2006 financially unsustainable.
This decision by the Sports Council will continue to impact on all non Olympic sports in Ireland.
An ankle injury he sustained in 2004 has continued to cause him problems, particularly on rough tracks such as Fort William.
The failure of the U.C.I to outsource the management of the World Cup Series along with the general lack of sponsorship for downhill will make 2006 a difficult year for all riders.
Jamie would like to thank all those individuals in the mountain bike community who have supported him over the years in a very tough and difficult sport, and wish all those continued success in 2006.
He would also like to thank all his sponsors, Dickon from Santa Cruz UK, The Eircom dealer channel / Phone Pulse Ltd, Oakley, Fiat Ireland, Mojo, E13, Dakine, Toni and Guy Blackrock, Hope and Cycling Ireland.
Finally, he would like to thank his coach, Michelle Crinnon and his father, whose support has been fantastic over the years.
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