T&T's team of Nicholas Paul, Kwesi Browne, and Zion Pulido claimed the silver medal in the Men's Team Sprint final of the Pan American Elite Track Cycling Championships in San Juan, Argentina Wednesday evening.
Riding against Canada in the final, the men in red, white, and black posted a time of 45.291 seconds, which was not only slower than their counterparts, who crossed the finish line in a time of 43.384 for the gold medal, but it was also the first time the T&T men produced a slower-than 44-second time.
Colombia took the bronze medal by beating Mexico in the third and fourth-place ride-off, crossing the line in 44.260 while the Mexicans reached home in 44.379.
It was a battle of the two fastest teams on the day. In the earlier qualifiers, the Canadians, represented by the trio of James Hedgcock, Tyler Rorke, and Nick Wammes blazed the track to finish comfortably in 43.902 seconds, being the only team to go sub-44 seconds at a speed of 61.500 km/h.
However, the T&T team, the defending champion team, was not too far off, as a blistering 44.373 at a speed of 60.847km/h had put them well ahead of the other teams, inclusive of third-place Mexico (44.586), fourth-place USA (44.718) and fifth, Colombia (44.902).
Home team Argentina was sixth in the qualifiers with Vilar Lucas Omar, Rodriguez Juan Bautista, and Bettique Alejo getting across the line in 45.199. With their time, the T&T men cruised into the first round where they faced neighbouring Venezuela for the right to progress to the final based on times.
But Paul gave his team the advantage in the opening ride of heat three, which his teammates Browne and Pulido capitalised on to get the better of their Venezuelan counterparts at 44.093, which proved to be the second-fastest time that earned them a place in the final last night.
Canada's triumph over Chile in the other round-one ride in heat four with another sub-44 ride at 43.698, cemented their place as the other finalist.
