Fresh off his Pan American Games silver medal in the Sprint on Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Njisane Phillip was in action again yesterday, this time reaching the Men’s Keirin final after placing second in the first round heat behind sprint gold medallist Hugo Barrette.
On Saturday, Phillip went down in straight rides to Canadian Barrette, in the match sprint final, bagging T&T’s second medal (a silver) at the Toronto games and earning a US$2,000 bonus as part of the T&T Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) medal bonus programme.
Swimmer George Bovell earned T&T’s first medal at the games, a bronze, in the 50m freestyle and also received a medal bonus of US$1,000.
Phillip was scheduled to come up against Barrette in the Keirin final late yesterday. The other finalists were Hersony Canelon Vera, Jair Tjon En Fa, Lea Bottasso and Fabian Puerta Zapata.
Meanwhile, veteran swimmer and Olympic medallist Bovell, became the first athlete to benefit from the programme. The medal bonus programme is an essential component of “TenGolds24,” the ten or more Olympic Gold medals by 2024 Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund launched by the TTOC last year.
In an e-mail on Saturday, TTOC president Brian Lewis said “It is fitting that he became the first athlete to benefit from the fund launched by TTOC president Brian Lewis last year. As a four-time Olympian, Bovell is the Caribbean’s most successful swimmer, the holder of multiple world championship medals, a former world record holder and Sportsman of the year 2014. He embodies sporting excellence and the Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship.”
“Few athletes have worked as hard as he has and given so much inside and outside of the pool. Most recently Bovell has partnered with Atlantic and other local organisations, to host successful several swim clinics in Trinidad and Tobago. The clinics, which were designed to enhance the technical abilities of young athletes, while providing them with strategies for use daily in training, have been hugely successful,” Lewis added.
Lewis also wished Bovell a happy birthday saying: “Bovell has already qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics, and thus has another opportunity to add precious metal to his extensive medal collection. He represents the best of us. Happy Birthday.”
In other results in Canada yesterday, the T&T women volleyball team of Malika Davidson and Ayana Dyette lost 21-15, 21-16 to Guatemala in the Women’s Beach Volleyball playoff of the 13th-14th spots.
In golf, T&T’s Christina Ferreira finished ten-over par, She was in a three-way tie for 26th place in the women’s individual competition while Monifa Sealy finish 11-over par to finish 29th after round four.
Talin Rajendranath shot two over par in the Men’s Individual competition to tie with three other players for 18th place while Sachin Kumar hit three over par to finish tied for 22nd place with two other players. Together the T&T golfers combined for a score of 156 in the mixed team event, placing them last.
Today, Chemere Taylor will hit the ring for the women’s middle weight (69 - 75kg) quarter-final bout against Yenebier Guillen Benitez. The T&T men’s beach volleyball team of Daniel Williams and Fabien Whitfield will also be in action today against Venezuela in the playoff for 9th place.