Podium Paul: Ace Trinidad and Tobago rider cops Commonwealth gold, silver, bronze

NICHOLAS PAUL became the most accomplished Trinidad and Tobago cyclist at the Commonwealth Games when he captured bronze in the men’s 1000-metre time trial at Lee Valley VeloPark in Stratford, London, England on Monday.

Over the four-lap distance, Paul clocked a nippy one minute and 0.089 seconds (1:00.089) to earn his third medal in as many days; the largest haul from any TT cyclist at the Commonwealth Games.

On Sunday, Paul’s silver medal in the men’s sprint saw him join Roger Gibbon and the late Leslie King as the only riders from TT to ever earn two Commonwealth medals.

Monday’s time trial bronze however, saw him surpass the two local cycling legends with his well-executed third medal capture.

Additionally, on Saturday, after winning keirin gold, he became the second TT cyclist to win gold on this stage, following Gibbon’s time trial victory, 56 years ago, at the 1966 Games in Jamaica.

Winning time trial gold ahead of Paul was Australian Matthew Glaetzer (59.505 seconds) while his countryman Thomas Cornish rode away with silver (1:00.036).

Paul is the only athlete from TT’s contingent to earn a medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games so far.

In swimming events at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, TT’s Kael Yorke and Cadell Lyons did not advance to the men’s 100m butterfly semi-final. Both athletes swam in heat five and placed sixth (54.62) and seventh (54.63) respectively.

Competing in the men’s over 54-57 kilogramme (featherweight) division, boxer Anthony Joseph lost his round of 16 tie against Pakistan’s Ilyas Hussain on points. Hussain won 29-28.

Judoka Tyrone Charles was also beaten in the men’s 60kg elimination round of 16 by Zambia’s Simon Zulu. Zula won via ippon - a full throw in which a contestant throws his opponent to the mat with “considerable force and speed” so the opponent lands “largely on his back”.

Charlotte Knaggs was ousted from the women’s singles plate quarter-final as she lost 3-0 to Pakistani Amna Fayyaz. She won 11-7, 11-4, 11-5.

Meanwhile, TT cyclist Alexi Costa placed 15th in the women's 10km scratch race while Akil Campbell was tenth in the men’s points race. The mixed team triathlon saw Jason Costelloe and Jenna Ross finish 11th in one hour, 35 minutes and 41 seconds.

Action resumes on Tuesday, from as early as 5 am (TT time), with Andwuelle Wright and Kelsey Daniel in the men’s high jump qualifying round.

Forty minutes later, three sprinters – Kion Benjamin (heat six), Eric Harrison Jr (heat eight) and Jerod Elcock (heat ten) – begin the opening round of men’s 100m qualifying.

At 7.15 am, Khalifa St Fort (heat three), Michelle-Lee Ahye (heat five) and Leah Bertrand (heat seven) contest the women’s 100m first round.

Meanwhile, Dylan Carter returning to the pool swimming out of lane four of the men’s 50m freestyle heat nine from 6.06 am. TT women’s beach volleyball team goes up against Australia from 9.30 am.

Jelanie Boyce and Xavier Jones begin their judo quest with the former up against Northern Ireland’s Joshua Green in the men’s -73kg round of 16, and the latter, facing Bajan Asa Weithers in the men’s -81kg.

The netball team also continue their pool B campaign against Australia from 3 pm.