Carter on pathway to great success

PODIUM TIME: TT's Dylan Carter, centre, poses with his gold medal after winning the CAC 100m freestyle final.
PODIUM TIME: TT's Dylan Carter, centre, poses with his gold medal after winning the CAC 100m freestyle final.

NEW Central America and Caribbean (CAC) gold medallist Dylan Carter is on the pathway to greatness, according to Wendell Lai Hing, president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT).

Carter claimed TT’s first medal at the 2018 CAC Games in Barranquilla, Colombia on Friday evening, when he triumphed in the men’s 100-metre freestyle.

The 22-year-old set a new CAC record as he clocked 48.95 seconds, lowering the previous standard of 49 seconds flat, set by Cuba’s Hanser Garcia at the 2014 edition in Veracruz, Mexico.

Mikel Schreuders of Aruba got silver in 49.17 and Jorge Iga of Mexico took bronze in 49.28.

Lai Hing, who is currently with the TT delegation in Barranquilla, said in a brief interview yesterday, “It’s a great achievement for Dylan, as well as for Trinidad and Tobago. He’s the first English-speaking athlete to win a 100m (freestyle) gold medal at CAC and to go under 49 seconds. “As it is right now, ASATT is quite happy with the achievement of Mr Carter. We do wish him all the best and great success, together with all the other athletes who are here representing Team TTO,” Lai Hing continued.

Carter got a silver medal in the men’s 50m butterfly at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Asked if Carter can fly the TT flag high as 2004 Olympic bronze medallist George Bovell III did for over a decade, Lai Hing replied, “Dylan is on the pathway to be one of the most successful athletes we’ve had (in) aquatics.”

He added, “He’s a very hard worker and he deserves all that would be coming to him.”

In an interview on the Team TTO’s Facebook page, Carter said, “I’m extremely happy and elated. The past four months have been a real tumultuous journey for me.”

He admitted, “I had a bad pectoral injury in April so it was a (tough) road back for me.”

Carter expressed his gratitude to his doctor Anyl Gopeesingh and his trainer “for spending those three months, doing everything they possibly could to get me back ready for CAC.

“They knew that I wanted to come down here and represent Trinidad.”

TT had mixed results yesterday and Friday evening, in both team and individual events.

The TT men’s hockey team began their preliminary round campaign in Pool MA, with a 2-1 win over Cuba yesterday.

Teague Marcano put TT in front after 13 minutes but Wilfredo Sanchez Reyes knotted the scores in the 37th. However, Mickell Pierre got the game-winner for TT in the 50th. The TT women, who humiliated Guatemala 12-0 in their opening game on Friday, will face Barbados today.

In squash, TT men’s doubles pair of Chayse McQuan and Nkrumah Patrick had a hard-fought win over Barbados in the round of 16 stage.

McQuan and Patrick rallied from a set down to defeat Khamal Cumberbatch and Rhett Cumberbatch 8-11, 11-10, 11-10.

TT will be featuring in a trio of doubles quarter-finals today against Colombia (women and mixed), and Bermuda (men).

Also on today’s schedule in rowing, Felice Aisha Chow will be competing in the women’s single sculls Final A.

The TT men’s and women’s football squads were both on the losing end in their respective opening round matches.

The TT men’s outfit lost 2-0 to Honduras in a Group A fixture. The national women’s team were soundly beaten 5-1 by Mexico in a Group B contest. Monica Ocampo Medina struck in the 20th and 53rd, with Veronica Corral (54th), Katlyn Johnson (66th) and Vaitiare Robles (70th) contributed one apiece. Liana Hinds got the consolation strike for TT in the 57th.

Both teams will be back in action today, with the men’s team facing Costa Rica and the women’s squad tackling Nicaragua.

Sailor Andrew Lewis was involved in three races, in the men’s laser opening series yesterday. He got three points in the first race (after finishing third), four points in the second race (after finishing fourth) and two points in the third race (after finishing third).

Lewis will return to action in the laser opening series tomorrow.

It was a topsy-turvy day for the TT women table-tennis players in the singles category.

Rheann Chung and Catherine Spicer each had one win and one defeat, but Linda Partap and Brittany Joseph were beaten in both their matches.

Chung defeated Camila Obando of Venezuela 11-8, 11-5, 11-6, but she was beaten in her earlier fixture by Yadira Silva of Mexico 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7.

Spicer fell to a 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 defeat to Luisa Zuluaga of Venezuela, but she responded with a 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 win over Dahyana Rojas of the Dominican Republic.

Partap was brushed aside by both Mabelyn Enriquez of Guatemala 11-2, 11-5, 11-8, and Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill 11-3, 11-2, 11-9.

Joseph lost twice yesterday to Estefania Ramirios of El Salvador 11-8, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, and to Fabiola Diaz of Puerto Rico 12-10, 10-12, 11-5, 11-4.

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