nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
T&T swimmer Dylan Carter had to settle for a fourth-placed finish for the third time in a row at a major international meet when he just missed out on a medal in the men’s 50m freestyle final of the 22nd Commonwealth Games (CG) at the Sandwell Aquatic Centre in Birmingham, England on Wednesday.
Fourth in the men’s butterfly final at the 19th FINA Long Course World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in June and fourth in the same event in England on Saturday in Birmingham, the 26-year-old Carter, swimming out of lane two raced home in 22.10, well off his personal best of 21.91 he clocked at the Worlds to trail English duo, Benjamin Proud who won in 21.36 and Lewis Edwards Burras who got silver in 21.68 while Canada’s Joshua Edwards edged bronze in 22.02.
Singapore’s Tzen Wei Teong was fifth in 22.26 followed by Australia Tom Nowakowski (22.37), Bahamian Lamar Taylor (22.51) and Australian Grayson Bell (22.53).
On Tuesday, Carter competing in lane five in the first of two semifinals, touched the wall in 22.35 seconds for the second spot, behind Nowakowski who won in 22.20 while Wei Teong qualified in third with a time of 22.36.
The qualifiers to the final from semifinal two were Proud who won in 21.63 followed by Edwards and Burras, who both touched in 21.92, Taylor (22.45), and Bell, in 22.55.
In the heats, Carter was a second-placed finisher in heat nine with the fourth fastest overall of 22.48 to finish behind Burras (22.09).
Last Saturday, Carter had to settle for the fourth spot in the men’s 50m butterfly final, finishing just off the medal podium by 0.01 hundredths of a second with a 23.28 seconds timing.
His time was well off the 22.85 he swam for a similar fourth place finish at the FINA Worlds in Hungary, a time which stands as his personal best opted out of the semifinals, with his spot going to Jersey Harry Shalamon (25.93), who was seventh in the same heat four, while Cyprus’ Sofoklis Mougis touched in 26.40 for the eighth spot.
Wood beaten in Judo bronze medal contest
Local women’s Judoka Gabriella Wood came up one win short in her quest for a medal in the women’s 78 kg after she was beaten in 56 seconds by Australian Abigail Paduch in their bronze medal clash, trailing 10-0 when referee Ioana Babiuc of Romania stopped the contest inside 56 seconds.
Earlier on, the 24-year-old Wood started her medal with a loss in the women’s 78 kg quarterfinal against New Zealand’s Sydnee Andrews 10-0 with the referee stopping the fight after 71 seconds at Coventry Arena Judo Mat Two.
However, in the repechage, opening round Wood defeated Tracy Durhone of Mauritius 10-3 five minutes and 40 seconds into their contest to set up a fight with Paduch.
Ahye relinquishes sprint crown
T&T’s Michelle-Lee Ahye, 30, relinquished her hold on the women’s 100m sprint crown after he placed third in semifinal two of three in 11.29 seconds, to finish behind Jamaica Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah who won in 11.05, while New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs took the second automatic spot in 11.15.
In semifinal one, St Lucian Julien Alfred won in 11.04 and was joined in the gold medal sprint by Nigerian Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha (11.06) while in semifinal three, England’s Daryll Neita stormed to victory in a personal best of 10.90 and was joined in the final by Nigerian Rosemary Chukwuma (11.05) and the pair of Bahamian Tynia Gaither and Jamaican Natalliah Whyte, who both clocked 11.17 to qualify as the two fastest losers.
On Tuesday in the heats, Ahye stormed to victory in heat five in 11.14 seconds the sixth fastest time overall in the heats, followed by Bahamian Tynia Gaither (11.19), and Joy Chinenye Udo Gabriel (11.43), a season-best while Khalifa St Fort was fourth in heat three from lane three in 11.49 and failed to advance as the 23rd fastest, just one spot shy of Wales’ Hannah Brier (11.48).
In her heat, St Fort finished behind the three qualifiers from her heat, England’s Daryll Neita (11.02), Australian Bree Masters (11.41) and Antiguan Joella Lloyd (11.42) while in heat seven, Leah Bertrand was a non-starter.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday from 2.35 pm, 2.43 pm, and 2.51 pm from which the top two finishers and the two fastest losers overall will qualify for the final at 4.45 pm.
T&T’s Nigel Paul and coach Rawlson Dopwell
Courtesy TTOC
100m men trio bow out at semis
In the men’s 100m semifinal the local trio of Eric Harrison Jr, Jerod Elcock and Kion Benjamin all failed to advance from their respective semifinals.
The 23-year-old Harrison Jr was seventh in the semifinal one of three in 10.44 seconds for a seventh spot finish from lane two well adrift of South African Akani Simbine who won in 10.07 and was joined in the final by Australian Rohand Browning, who crossed the line in 10.17.
They were followed by England’s Ojie Edoburun (10.30), British Virgin Islands Rikkoi Brathwaite (10.31), Jamaican Conroy Jones (10.33) and Guyana’s Emanuel Archibald (10.43) while Antigua & Barbuda’s Cajhae Greene (10.45) and
Nigerian Godson Oghenebrume (10.52) were eighth and ninth respectively.
In heat semifinal two, 24-year-old Elcock ended in the sixth position in 10.38 to trail Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (10.02) and Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (10.14) who both advanced to the final, while Nigeria’s Favour Oghene Tejiri Ashe was third in 10.24, Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole (10.25) fourth and Ghana’s Sean Safo-Antwi fifth in 10.36 while the trio of Scotland’s Adam Thomas (10.40), Australian Jake Doran (10.40) and St Kitts/Nevis’ Nadale Buntin (10.51) were seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.
In the third and final semifinal heat, 21-year-old Benjamin finished eighth of nine runners in 10.43 with England’s Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake taking the top spot in 10.13 followed by the fellow automatic qualifier for the final, Wales’ Jeremiah Azu in a personal best of 10.15 while Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati (10.18), and Sri Lankan, Yupun Abeykoon (10.20) qualified to the gold medal sprint as the two fastest losers.
Kenya’s Samwel Bitonyake Imeta was fifth across the line in 10.24 followed by Namibian Gilbert Hainuca (10.29), and Nigerian Raymond Ekevwo (10.36) while St Lucian Stephan Charles was ninth in 10.53.
On Tuesday in the heats, Elcock breezed to victory in heat ten of the 100m in 10.26 seconds and was joined in the semifinals by Guyana’s Emanuel Archibald (10.28), St Lucian Stephen Charles (10.29), and Ghana’s Sean Safo-Antwi (10.33), the latter two, as fastest losers.
Benjamin was second in the men’s 100m heat six in 10.34 seconds to finish behind Sri Lankan Yupun Abeykoon (10.06) while Nigerian Godson Oke Oghenebrume qualified in third in 10.38, as one of the seven fastest losers.
In heat eight, Harrison Jr qualified in the third spot at 10.37, also the fastest loser time, behind Jamaican Conroy Jones who won in 10.28, with Scotland’s Adam Thomas, second in 10.30.
Guevara in 400m semis, Wright in long jump final
In the men’s 400m round one, Asa Guevara was third in the second heat in 45.98 seconds to advance as an automatic qualifier with the seventh best overall of all runners to tomorrow’s semifinal heat three from 4.20 pm, behind heat winner, Jamaican Nathon Allen, who won in 45.18, and Botswana’s Leungo Scotch, second in 45.75 while in heat one, T&T’s Che Lara was sixth in 47.51 seconds for 31st position and did not qualify, and in heat six, Kashif King crossed in fourth spot and 34th overall, in 48.08 and also did not qualify to the semifinals. The final is carded for Sunday, from 5.45 pm.
Competing in heat three of the men’s 800m, Nicholas Landeau crossed the line in the seventh spot in one minute, 53.69 seconds for the 19th best time overall.
Today, defending champion Jereem Richards starts his defence of his men’s 200m title in heat four from 7 am, after Dwight St Hillaire competes in heat one from 6.15 am, while Kyle Greaux lines up in heat five from 7.17 am.
First in action will be Mauricia Prieto in the women’s 200m heat five from 5.57 am while Tyra Gittens lines up in Group A of the women’s High Jump Qualifying Round from 6.05 am.
Today, national champion, Andweuelle Wright will compete in the men’s Long Jump final from 2.42 pm after he qualified on Tuesday as one of the 12 best performers with a leap of 7.58 metres on his first attempt.
His distance was good enough for the eighth spot in the Qualifying Round Group A of ten competitors and the 12th and final qualifier overall ahead of countryman Kelsey Daniel.
The top qualifier and lone athlete to go above 8.00 metres was India’s Sreeshankar Sreeshankar with 8.05 followed by Bahamian Lequan Nairn (7.90), South African Jovan Van Vuuren (7.87), Jamaican Shawn-D Thompson (7.85), Australian Henry Frayne (7.85), Guyana’s Emanuel Archibald (7.83), Aussie Christopher Mitrevski (7.76), India’s Muhammed Anees Yahiya (7.68), Dominica’s Trista James (7.65), Turks & Caicos Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye (7.65) and Botswana’s Thapelo Monaiwa (7.65).
Jerod Elcock, right, of T&T competes in his men’s 100m heat during the athletics in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Alastair Grant
Calypso Girls, beach volleyballers
At the NEC Arena, T&T ‘Calypso Girls’ netballers suffered another embarrassing defeat, this time to Malawi, 30-70 to fall to a 0-4 record in Pool B.
Beaten by England (22-74), Uganda (28-68) and New Zealand (24-80) in their previous three matches, the ‘Calypso Girls’ fell behind early against Malawi and at the end of the first 15-minute quarter trailed 8-17.
The scoring trend continued in the second period with Malawi extending their cushion to 39-15 before dominating the third quarter 18-8, and the final period as well, 13-7.
For Malawi, starting goal shoot Mwai Kumweda was unstoppable with 27 goals from 28 attempts while her half-time replacement Joyce Mvula added 22 from 26 attempts, and goal attack, Jane Chimaliro got a perfect 16, and Sindi Simtowe.
The ‘Calypso Girl’ had a team-high 23 goals from 26 attempts from goal shoot Afeisha Noel, goal attack Tahirah Hollingsworth added five from nine attempts, and veteran Joelisa Cooper, two from four.
With the loss, T&T remained bottom of the six-team table without a point, the same Northern Ireland whom it faces from 2 pm today to end round-robin pool play.
Ping Pong trio blanked in singles competition
The local table tennis trio of Catherine Spicer, Rheann Chung and Derron Douglas all suffered defeats in all their respective individual women’s and men’s table tennis pool matches at the NEC Table Tennis Court.
Five-time Caribbean women’s Singles champion, France-based Rheann Chung, 37, was swept aside by England’s Charlotte Bardsley 4-11, 9-11, 7-11, 8-11 in her Group Eight opener before putting a much stronger showing in a loss to Cyprus’ Foteini Meletie 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 10-12, 10-12, 7-11
In Group One, 27-year-old Spicer was beaten by Mauritius Nandeshwaree Jalim 10-12, 3-11, 7-11, 7-11 and Wales’ Anna Hursey, 6-11, 1-11, 3-11, 1-11.
Tobago-born 18-year-old Douglas fell to Bangladeshi Mohutasin Ahmed Riddy 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 9-11; Guyana’s Christopher Franklin 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-3, 9-11, 3-11 and Pakistani Fahad Khawaja, 8-11, 11-13, 12-14, 9-11.
Paul contests Super Heavyweight quarters
Boxer, Nigel Paul, 32, who won a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championship in Belgrade last year will enter the ring on Thursday at 4.45 pm for his men’s super heavyweight (over 92kg) quarterfinal against England’s Delicious Orie, who had a first-round bye.
On Sunday last, Paul made an impressive start to his campaign in the men’s Super Heavyweight (over 92kg) against Jean Christophe Stephan Otendy of Mauritius winning his bout after the referee stopped the contest with one minute, 38 seconds in the opening round at the Number 5 Hall 4 in their round-of-16 bout.
Before Paul’s bout, Tiana Guy steps into the ring for her women’s featherweight (over 54 - 57 kg) quarterfinal bout against Nigerian Elizabeth Oshoba at 2 pm.
Also today, T&T will feature in women’s beach volleyball, cycling and squash
In women’s beach volleyball, the local pairing of Phylecia Armstrong and Suraya Chase, with a 0-2 record in Pool B after suffering defeats to Australians Talique Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar as well as Manolina Konstantinou and Zoi Konstantopoulou of Cyprus, face fellow winless duo, Sri Lankans Deepika Bandara and Chathurika Weeransinghe, from 4 pm.
The local pair of Charlotte Knaggs and Chayse McQuan will contest the squash Mixed Doubles round-of-32 against Canadians Hollie Naughton and Nick Sachvie from 7.30 am, while cyclist Teniel Campbell gets her first taste of road cycling competition in the women’s Individual Time Trial from 5 am.
T&T has so far won three medals at the games, all by cyclist Nicholas Paul, a gold, silver and bronze, to equal the medal haul of four years ago which was (two gold, one silver) with sprinters, Ahye and Jereem Richards the gold medal winners and Carter, adding a silver.
Paul, a former Naparima College student has so far won all three medals for T&T, a gold in the keirin, silver in the match sprint and bronze in the kilometre Time Trial and joined fellow cyclist Roger Gibbon, Mike Agostini (athletics), Michelle-Lee Ahye (Athletics), Kent Bernard (athletics), Ato Boldon (athletics), Hugo Gittens (weightlifting), Wendell Mottley (athletics), Jereem Richards (athletics), Edwin Roberts (athletics) and Rodney Wilkes (weightlifting) as gold medal winners for T&T at any Commonwealth Games.