In a dramatic escalation of an ongoing sporting dispute, national cyclist Alexi Costa-Ramirez and her Heatwave Cycling Club have formally appealed a High Court decision that permitted the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) to proceed with selection trials for the Pan American Track Cycling Championships. The appeal, filed on January 14, seeks to overturn Justice Westmin James’s January 13 ruling that denied an interim injunction against endurance trials scheduled for January 17.
The legal confrontation stems from broader proceedings involving multiple athletes—including Njisane Phillip and Makaira Wallace of JLD Cycling Academy—who are contesting the fairness of the federation’s selection methodology for February’s continental championships. The appellants assert the trial judge committed significant judicial errors by refusing to halt the selection process.
Central to their appeal is the challenge against the judge’s finding that certain claimants had submitted performance data without attending trials, and the determination that canceling trials would disproportionately harm the federation. Heatwave and Costa-Ramirez contend the TTCF bears an implied contractual duty to ensure equitable treatment of all athletes during selection.
They further argue that financial compensation cannot remedy the potential loss of competing at a prestigious event like the Pan American Championships—a critical qualifying pathway to the Olympic Games. The appeal emphasizes that proceeding with the trials could inflict irreversible damage on athletes’ careers during a pivotal moment in the Olympic cycle, while pausing them would not significantly disadvantage the federation.
As part of their requested relief, the appellants seek an order from the Court of Appeal to restrain the TTCF from conducting the January 17 endurance trials. They also request coverage of legal costs from both the appeal and prior proceedings. Given the time-sensitive nature of the selection process, the appellants plan to request an expedited hearing under Part 64.10 of the Civil Proceedings Rules.