jul.16.2009
 On day three of the Pan American Junior Cycling Championships in Mexico Njisane Phillip won T&T’s first ever gold medal in the Match Sprint at the event. Having taken the silver medal at the last championships which took place in Ecuador last year, Phillip was successful in defeating Venezuela’s Duque Willy in the final to take the gold medals this time around. The national sprint champion, however, needing three rides to defeat Willy.
After Phillip won the first, Willy powered past him to win the second with a time of 10.805 seconds forcing a third and deciding ride in the event. In the third round, Phillip, who had on Tuesday qualified for the semifinal with the fastest time of the quarterfinal 10.60, clocked a similar time of 10.631 to defeat Willy. Third place in the event went to Ecuador’s Intriago Esteban, who defeated Mexico’s Elias Ruben in two straight rides after he suffered a similar straight-round defeat to Phillip in the semifinal. Esteban’s best time in the third place match-up was 10.99.
T&T had two other representatives in the event— Quincy Alexander and Thireef Smart—both of whom did not make it into the semifinal.
On Tuesday, Alexander clocked a time of 11.18 to place fifth overall in the event, while Smart returned a time of 11.70 to place ninth overall. T&T’s Varun Maharaj also competed yesterday in the Points Race, becoming the first T&T national to complete the 72 lap event. Maharaj put in a good performance to finish in tenth place overall. Also competing in the points race for T&T was Rudy Ashton, who was able to complete only 20 laps. On the first day of the championships, T&T won the bronze medal in the Team Sprint. Led by Phillip, team T&T clocked a time of one minute, 04.531 seconds to secure the team’s first medal at the meet.
Also featuring in this country’s bronze medal winning performance were Smart and Alexander, who became T&T's youngest ever medallist at the Pan Am Cycling Championships. First place in the event went to Mexico, finishing in a time of 1.03.335 with Venezuela second in 1.03.584. T&T’s riders will again be in competition today. Phillip will be in action in the opening round of the Keirin, the same event in which he won bronze at the last championships with Alexander also expected to take part.
|
|
