T&T swimmer George Bovell made it five bronze medals for T&T at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games after he finished third, one-hundredth of a second out of a silver medal in the men's 50m backstroke at Leyes de Reforma Aquatic Centre, Veracruz, Mexico on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old Bovell splashed home in 25.91 seconds, behind gold medallist Albert Subirats of Venezuela who won in a new meet record of 25.72 while his countryman Robinson Molina got silver in 25.90.
Subirats' mark erased Colombian Omar Andres Pinzon's 2010 record of 25.96.
Pinzon had to settle for fourth in 26.04 followed by Cuban Amando Barrera (26.35), Colombian Juan Pablo Botero (26.38), T&T's David Mc Leod (26.87) and St Lucian, Jordan Augier (28.16).
In the morning heats, Bovell was second in heat two in 26.65 seconds to trail Molina (26.33) while Subirats won heat one in 26.42 with Botero second in 26.67, Cuban Armando Barrera third in 26.74 and Mc Leod, fourth in 26.81.
T&T's Joshua Mc Leod was also in action in the men's 100m butterfly B-final and won in 56.15 ahead of Panama's Ahmed Wynters (57.21) and Guyana's Hannibal Gaskin (1:01.71).
Yesterday, Bovell returned to the pool and just avoided a major shocker when he edged into the men's 50m freestyle final as the seventh fastest qualifier after a fourth placed finish in the third and final heat.
A gold medal winner in the past two finals and the CAC Games record holder with a 22.23 clocking in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico four years ago, Bovell touched the wall in a slow 23.42 seconds by his standards, behind Suriname's Renzo Tjon-A-Joe (22.98), Venezuelan Cristian Quintero (23.10) and Puerto Rican, Erik Risolvato (23.34) while St Lucia Jordan Augier (24.02) and Antigua and Barbuda's Stefano Mitchell (26.30) were fifth and sixth.
The two qualifiers from heat one were Cuban, Hanser Garcia (23.06) and Mexican, Alejandro Escudero (23.33) while Bermuda's Roy-Allen Burch (23.23) and Mexico's Daniel Ramirez (23.51) qualified for the gold medal splash from heat two.
T&T's Cherelle Thompson also booked a place in the final of the women's 50m freestyle final following her fourth place showing in the second and final heat in 26.56 behind Bahamian favourite Arianna Vanderpool (25.38), Mexico's Liliana Ebanez (26.00) and Colombian Isabella Arula (26.21). The quartet will face competition from heat one qualifiers, Puertico Rican, Vanessa Garcia (26.01), Aruban Allyson Ponson (26.28), Bahamian Ariel Weech (26.43) and Mexico's Maria Gonzalez (26.63).