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Our hearts were pumping as we watched the the announcements of the Semi-Finalists on Wednesday, as ever more spots were filled by wonderful baristas from around the world. It was not to be for Winston Thomas this year.
"To be honest, I am gutted. It was the most fun I've had on stage and we were really playing this year as if we would be through to the semis. And we really had a shot. In the end, a couple of points were the difference and I have run through the set and my scoresheets and I can see where I could've got those points, but that's not the way it played out on stage."
An amazing performance that got him so very close. He is determined to bring back the knowledge he has gained to share with the local community, not only about what happens on stage, but what happens behind the scenes.
The important thing to remember is that we've now had three baristas in the Top 20, Craig Charity placed 14th, Ishan Natalie placed 18th and now Winston Thomas has placed 17th! So we are building some momentum as a country and we need to collectively try keep that moving forward! We're stronger together!
"It felt the 1998 Cricket World Cup, if just one thing had gone our way the result would've been completely different. But too many small things added up to me missing out on the points I needed to get another shot on stage. I guess that's sport, but it is a tough pill to swallow and I'll be thinking about the things I could have done slightly differently for a long time to come."
He wants everyone to know how incredibly grateful he is for all the support. We don't think Winston is done with this competition just yet...
You can read the Full Gesha Village Story originally published in Issue 36 of The Coffee Magazine here.
