FAVOURED MEDALLIST Machel Cedenio lived up to the hype when he blasted Trinidad and Tobago to Pan American Men’s 400 metre silver at the CIBC Athletics Stadium in Toronto, Canada, yesterday.
In the hotly-contested final, Cedenio finished in a time of 44.70 seconds to grab a well deserved runner-up spot behind the eventual winner Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic, who produced a season’s best time of 44.56 seconds to take the gold. Claiming bronze was American Kyle Clemons, who stopped the clock in a personal best time of 44.84s. TT’s Jarrin Solomon missed out on medalling as he was fifth overall in 45.20s.
Cedenio now joins golden girl Cleopatra Borel (Shot Put), silver medallist Njisane Phillip (Men’s Cycling Sprint) and bronze receiver George Bovell III (Men’s 50m freestyle) with TT 2015 Pan American Games podium places.
Cedenio will now benefit from the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) medal bonus by pocketing US$2,000 for his silver-medal performance. In the Men’s 200m, Rondel Sorrillo and Kyle Greaux were both unable to progress out of their respective semi-finals, as regional rival Rasheed Dwyer (Jamaica) smashed a 44-year Pan American record with a blistering 19.80s clocking in the first heat, while Greaux placed seventh in 20.69s.
In this record-breaking race, American Wallace Spearmon (20.03) clocked a season’s best, while Antiguan Miguel Francis (20.05) and Cuban Reynier Mena (20.32) clocked personal best times.
In the second semi-final, Sorillo also had a tough time progressing after placing sixth in 20.61. However, Cuban Roberto Skyers (20.09) and the Dominican Republic’s Yancarlos Martinez (20.22) also achieved personal best times. Prior to their elimination, Greaux advanced out of heat two of the first round in 20.75 while Sorrillo moved on in heat three with a time of 20.63.
In the women’s equivalent, Reyare Thomas qualified for today’s final after clocking the eighth fastest time (22.88) in the semi-finals. She placed fifth in the second ‘semi’ while Kamaria Durant was unable to advance out her the first, placing fourth in 22.94s. Durant was expected to reach the final however, having clocked a personal best time (22.74) in heat two. Thomas (23.30) on the other hand, advanced out of heat one with the third fastest time. And in Men’s field hockey action, the TT unit went down 1-2 to the USA. Forward William Holt put the Americans ahead in the 27th minute but TT quickly answered back nine minutes later with a goal from striker Tariq Marcano. However, the national outfit was unable to push on as they had another goal fly past custodian Andre Rocke in the 38th minute from Tyler Sundeen.
Today, Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and Shackiel Waithe will compete in the men’s Javelin final.