Nicholas Robinson emerged the grand prize winner of the Maritime 10th anniversary Kayak Race hosted by the Trinidad Kayak Club (TKC) in conjunction with the T&T Canoeing & Rowing Federation (TTCRF) in Williams Bay, Chaguaramas on May 6.
Robinson is one of several elite athletes who will be representing T&T at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games next month and the Pan Am Games, later this year.
In second place, was Stanley Brooker from Barbados, the previous champion. In third place was Robinson's brother Matthew, who will also be attending the CAC Games.
Three practice races were held within a five-week period leading up to the main event.
Annually, until COVID-19 hit, the races were held on the Ortoire River in Mayaro, but post-pandemic, with the unpredictable weather and the temporary Manzanilla Road, the TKC was forced to run the races in Chaguaramas.
There were two main races, the short course, 6K, and the long course, 12K, the latter for the athletes and seasoned paddlers. However, this year, one 18-year-old, Justin Chin Lee, took up the long course challenge although he had only been training for a few months. He placed fifth among the seven paddlers.
The short course saw 40 competitors and it consisted of three laps (each lap was 2K) within Williams Bay and the long course included a paddle out to the Five Islands and three laps within the bay.
In the short course race, the winner was Akeem Chesney, in second place, Rahsaan Hazelwood and in third place, Terrence Rampersadsingh.
Medals and prizes were also awarded to various categories including Youth Recreational, Women’s Recreational and Double Kayaks. There was keen competition among the three Sea Scout troops (sixth Trinidad from Port-of-Spain, third Trinidad from San Fernando and 1First Naparima) that participated.
The 10-year anniversary event was sponsored by the Maritime Financial Group, Kia Trinidad & Tobago and Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited.
