Top T&T cyclist and reigning First Citizens 'Sportsman of the Year Nicholas Paul repeated as the Men's Keirin champion when the Pan American Track Cycling Championships continued at the Velo Sports Center in Carson, California, Los Angeles, USA on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old Gasparillo-born Paul who had a spill in the semifinals at the Tissot/International Cycling Union (UCI) Track Nations Cup in Hong Kong, China last month had no such mishaps this time around.
Despite starting from the back of the six-man final, with Colombian Kevin Quintero in position two, and his countryman Cristian Ortega sandwiched between the two Canadians Ryan Dodyk up front and Hedgcock behind him, the T&T champion cyclist stormed to victory in 9.985 seconds with a top speed of 72.108 km/h, with Quinteron in the second spot, 0.162 seconds behind while Browne who was fifth in the Keirin in Hong Kong, took bronze, 0.264 seconds after Paul had crossed to give T&T its third medal in two days, and second bronze after Akil Campbell was third in the Men's 60-laps Scratch Race.
Ortega had to settle for the fourth spot 0.306 seconds behind, followed by Canadian duo, Hedgcock (+0.465 seconds), and Dodyk (+0.608 seconds).
Earlier in the semifinals, Paul rode away with top spot heat one in a much faster time than his golden ride, reaching 72.705 km/h to cross the line in 9.903 seconds, with Quintero second (+0.128), and Dodyk (+0.172), in the third spot to qualify to the final while Suriname's Jair Tjon En Fa (+0.323), Argentina's Lucas Vilar (+0.469), and Chile's Joaquin Fuenzalida (+0.749) were the other finishers and qualified to the seventh to 12th ride off.
In semifinal heat two, Ortega won with a time of 10.352 at a top speed of 69.552 km/h with Hedgcock (+0.008). and Browne (+0.085) closely behind.