Tough day for TTO at Pan Am Games

Despite having a couple of medal hopefuls, the TT contingent had a tough day at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile on Tuesday.

In the pool, 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games triple gold medallist Nikoli Blackman finished fourth in the B final of the men's 50m freestyle event, after a fourth-place finish in his heat in the earlier session at the Centro Acuatico. Blackman clocked a time of 22.84 seconds in heat three, before improving to a 22.73-seconds clocking swimming out of lane six in the B final.

US swimmer David Curtiss led a one-two finish for his country to take gold in the final in a time of 21.85 seconds. The B final was won by Canada's Edouard Fullum-Hout in a time of 22.45 seconds.

Blackman's compatriot Ashley Thompson placed seventh in heat three of the women's 50m freestyle in a time of 26.32 seconds. The heat was won by Canada's Maggie MacNeil in a time of 25.28 seconds. MacNeil, an Olympic champion in the 100m butterfly event, just edged her way to the 50m freestyle gold medal in a time of 24.84 seconds. US swimmers Gabi Albiero (24.84 seconds) and Catie De Loof (24.88 seconds) clinched silver and bronze respectively. Thomson's placed 18th overall in the competition.

On the cycling track at the Velodromo, Akil Campbell finished outside of the medals in the men's omnium. Campbell placed ninth in the scratch race, and tenth in the tempo race after an unfortunate crash in the final stages. Campbell did not contest the elimination race or the gruelling points race which brought the omnium to a close.

In the men's team sprint, the TT team of Kwesi Browne, Zion Pulido and Nicholas Paul finished sixth in a time of 44.887 seconds in the qualifying race and were unable to progress to the medal races. Canada copped gold in a time of 43.396 seconds. Colombia (43.421 seconds) and Mexico (43.396 seconds) claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively.

TT's cyclists will aim to change their fortunes on the track when the qualification round for the men's individual sprint event is contested from 9.05 am on Wednesday.