Two-time Olympian Dylan Carter secured this country’s first gold medal in the men’s 100 metres freestyle A-final at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games simultaneously behind held in El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic on Saturday night.
Competing at the Merliot Aquatic Complex, in San Salvador, El Salvador, last night, the 27-year-old successfully retained his men’s 100 meters freestyle, which he first won four years ago in Barranquilla, Colombia in a record time of 48.95 seconds, when he again outswam the eight-man field and lowered the record time with a scintillating 48.49 seconds, after a first 50m split of 23.11 seconds.
A distant second in the final was Aruba Mikel Schreuders in 49.17 while Mexico’s Jorge Ida took bronze in 49.38 followed by his countryman Andres Dupont, the only other man under the 50 seconds barrier, in 49.52.
The other finishers in the final were Jesus Lopez of Venezuela in 50.19, T&T’s Nikoli Blackman, sixth in 50.29, Bahamian Lamar Taylor seventh in 50.38, and Emil Perez of Venezuela, eighth in 50.62.
In the morning heats Carter was the second fastest in the fifth and final heat in 50.37 seconds, to trail Dupont who won in 49.56 with Perez, third in 50.69.
Blackman, who turned 18 years old on Thursday was also second home in heat in 50.21 to finish behind Schreuders who touched the wall in 49.87 with Colombian, Santiago Arteaga, third in 51.14 but the ninth fastest overall to qualify as the top swimmer for the B-final.
And in heat three, Iga won in a top qualification mark of 48.98, with Lopez, second in 50.05 to book his spot in the gold medal splash.
<Beach Volleyball>
At the Costa Del Sol, the T&T women’s team of Apphia Glasgow, and La Teisha Joseph battled past US Virgin Islands’ Amber Bennett, and Cristina Almedia 21-18, 21-19 in their ninth to 16th semifinal.
Next up for the T&T women is a meeting with Colombians Ana Beltran and Yaleni Moreno in their ninth to 12th semifinal from 10 am after the South Americans defeated Cayman Islands’ Chlouie Gaetos, and Deajra Tulloch 21-5, 21-5 in their ninth to 16th playoff.
<Table Tennis>
Chung advances to women’s Singles last-16
France-based Rheann Chung was the lone T&T player in the winners’ row in her round-of-32 contest to advance to Monday’s last-16 of the women’s Singles competition where she will face Cuban Daniela Fonseca from noon.
This after Chung, battled past Venezuelan Mariangel Diaz 11-3, 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, winning the sixth set from 4-9 down, while Fonseca stopped Colombian Ana Isaza 7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7 in their respective last-32 encounters.
However, the T&T men’s trio of USA-based duo, Khaleel Asgarali, and Derron Douglas, along with the top-ranked locally-based Aaron Wilson all made their men’s Single exit in the round-of-32 yesterday.
Asgarali failed in his effort to reach the last-16 after he suffered a straight sets loss to Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanador 3-11, 5-11, 3-11, 6-11 while Douglas was overwhelmed by Costa Rican Daniel Araya 11-5, 9-11, 5-11, 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, and Wilson was ousted by Guatemalan Sergio Carrillo 11-9, 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 7-11, 7-11.
On Friday night, in the men’s round-of-64 Singles competition, Asgarali, and Douglas won against Guyana’s Christopher Franklyn (11-3, 10-12, 11-4, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9) and Nicaraguan Genaro Roustan (12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 13-11, 11-2, 11-8) respectively, while Wilson dumped Haitian Donika St Fleur 15-13, 5-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-5.
But in the other match involving a T&T player, Dominican Republic’s Abit Tejada defeated Dookram 11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7.
Chung, a five-time Caribbean women’s singles champion outplayed Dominican Republic’s Yasiris Ortiz 4-11, 15-13, 11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6 in the round-of-64 opener.
However, Imani Edwards-Taylor went under to Colombian Juliana Lozado 6-11, 5-11, 2-11, 3-11; Chloe Fraser was outlasted by Honduran Rebecca Ayestas 5-11, 11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 15-13, 4-11; and Ambika Sitram was beaten by El Salvadorean Keren Bolanos, 2-11, 10-12, 6-11, 9-11.
Last night, Chung and Douglas won their Mixed Doubles last-32 clash versus Costa Ricans, Alejandro Montoya, and Sofia Perez respectively 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 but then tasted defeat against Dominican Republic’s Isaac Vila and Esmerlyn Castro in a hard-fought clash 9-11, 11-8, 10-12, 10-12 in the round-of-16.
T&T’s other duo in the Mixed Doubles last-32, Wilson and Fraser lost their last-32 battle with Guyana’s Natalie Cummings, and Christopher Franklyn 7-11, 12-14, 11-9, 9-11.
Today, Wilson and Douglas will be hoping for much better returns when they come up against Hondurans, Jose You, and Guillermo Munoz in the men’s Doubles round-of-16 from 12.30 pm while from 12 noon, in the women’s Doubles round-of-16, Chung and Edwards-Taylor face Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill and Natalie Cummings.
And the national women’s rugby Sevens team will get their campaign off and running in Group A against Colombia from 11 am at the Cuartel San Carlos followed by matches versus Mexico from 2.24 pm, and Costa Rica to close our round-robin play from 5.04 pm.
<Phillip bows out boxing at the last-16 hurdle>
T&T’s pugilist, Donnel Phillip was stopped in his quest for a medal when he was beaten 4-1 on point by Bahamian Rashield Williams in their men’s 63.5kg round-of-16 bout at the El Salvador Ministry of Foreign Affairs Complex while Al Jaleel Jokhu came up against Cuban Erislan Romero in a 51kg quarterfinal after press time last night.
