Patterson, Nanan cop silver, bronze at Special Olympics

THE TT Special Olympics athletes keep winning medals, as Omari Patterson and Melissa Nanan delivered in equestrian and long jump respectively at the 2023 Special Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany on Friday.

TT overall haul is now 11 medals – five gold, four silver and two bronze. TT have also earned one fourth-place, one fifth-place, two sixth-place, one seventh-place and three eighth-place ribbons.

Patterson added another silver medal when he earned 84 per cent, riding Lennox, in the English working trails division D03 in level B1. Aaron Ben Ali finished in fifth place on Flash, with 79 per cent, in his D06 division. Patrice Pennie and Nathaniel Lewis will close off their equestrian C1 working trail competition on Saturday.

Nanan claimed a bronze medal in the Level C Division F05 long jump competition. She jumped 1.66m in her final jump to move into second spot ahead of Bara’Ah Qattam of Jordan, but was bettered by Ester Noel of Sudan, who leaped 1.73m in her final and only legal jump to claim silver.

Nanan believed she would be successful at the games.

In an interview posted on the Special Olympic TT Facebook page before competing in the long jump, Nanan said, “I want to come back home with a gold for TT and my country.”

Also in long jump, TT’s D’Andre Mc Guirk finished in seventh place in division M04 in level C, with a best jump of 2.18m. Tershana Tempro finished in eighth place in division F02 in level C, with a best jump of 1.84m. Nathan Mc Clean was also eighth in division M02 in level C, with a best jump of 2.84m.

TT will complete their athletics schedule on Saturday, with Cadell Cuffy competing in the level A 400m event. La Toya Charles and Tempro will line up in the women’s level A 100m, while Nanan returns to compete in the 100m in level C. Mc Clean will also compete in the level A men’s 100m.

The quartet of Charles, Mc Clean, Tempro and Cuffy will also compete in the 4x100m relay.

In swimming, Shania Surujbally had the misfortune of being disqualified after leading the field in her 50m freestyle event in the FA04 division in level A. The race was won by Vanette Li Ying Lim of Singapore in 44.31.

Donovan Garib of TT completed his campaign with a sixth-place finish in his 50m butterfly race in division MA02 in level A, clocking a time of 34.47. Surujbally will close her campaign with her 100m freestyle competition on Saturday, as well as Vanessa Samuel, who will compete in the 25m backstroke.

Powerlifting athletes Malachi Sylvester and Kadafie Anthony will enter competition in dead lift, bench press, squat and combined lifts.

The games end on Sunday and the TT delegation returns on Tuesday at 1.30 am.