T&T’s speed team of Nicholas Paul, Njisane Phillip and Keron Bramble yesterday finished sixth in the Men’s Elite Team Sprint on the opening day of the Tissot International Cycling Union (UCI) World Cup Series in Australia.
At the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, the local cycling trio started well, clocking the fifth-fastest time of 43.973 seconds in the qualifying round.
In the first round, Paul, world record holder in the Flying 200 metres, two-time Olympian Phillip and Bramble went even faster, clocking 43.710 but went under to the eventual silver medallists - Poland’s team of Maciej Bielecki, Mateusz Rudyk and Krzysztof Maksel.
However, their effort was not in vain as the T&T team, who finished eighth in this event after their 43.966 clocking at the Hong Kong leg some two weeks ago, earned some valuable points, 162.50 each, towards Olympic qualification.
The Polish team progressed to meet Japan’s Tomohiro Fukaya, Yoshitaku Nagasako and Yudai Nittain in the final but it was the latter sealing the win. The Japanese trio clinched gold in 42.912, defeating Poland by 2.496 seconds. New Zealand overcame Great Britain in the bronze-medal race by a margin of 0.771 seconds in 43.406.
Action in Brisbane was scheduled to continue last night with T&T’s Kwesi Browne racing in the Men’s Keirin aiming to improve on his ninth-place finish in New Zealand, while today Paul is set to race in the Men’s Sprint qualifying.