Teenage T&T swimmer Dylan Carter had this country's best showing at the 2015 Pan American Games, Toronto, Canada, thus far on Tuesday night when he placed fifth in the men's 100m freestyle A-Final at the Pan Am Aquatics Centre.
Swimming from lane seven in the eight-man final, Carter who attends the University of Southern California touched the wall in 49.10 seconds to trail Argentina's Federico Grabich (48.26), his schoolmate and hometown swimmer Santo Candorelli (48.57), Brazilian Marc Chierighini (48.80) and another USC swimmer, Venezuelan Christian Quintero (49.06).
The other finishers in the final were Canada's Yuri Kusil (49.26), Brazil's Matheus Santana (49.58) and Suriname's Renzo Tjon-A-Tjoe (49.60).
On Tuesday morning when the heats took place, the 19-year-old Carter, a silver medal winner in the men's 50m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Champions was third fastest in heat one in 49.29 seconds behind Condorelli (48.88) and Kisil (49.07).
Grabich (48.60), Chierighini (48.92) and Tjon-A-Tjoe (49.47) were the qualifiers from heat two while Quintero (49.07) and Santana (49.52) advanced from heat three.
Missing out on a spot in the final was USA's Cullen Jones, who at the London 2012 Olympic Games won gold in the 4x100m medley relay, silver in the 50m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay.
Four years earlier, he also won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, becoming the first African-American man to win a gold medal in swimming at an Olympics (Beijing 2008), while in 2007 at the FINA World Aquatics Championships he won gold in 4x100m freestyle relay and was second in 50m freestyle.
Today, (Thursday) Carter will be back in action in the 100m butterfly heats while tomorrow he joins Olympic and two-time World Championship bronze medallist, George Bovell in the hunt for 50m freestyle glory.
…..Women Soca Warriors, Colombia in 1-1 draw
The national women's football team made it two straight drawn results from their round-robin group after recent Tobago House of Assembly "Sportswoman of the Year" award winner Kennya "Yaya" Cordner netted an 87th minute equaliser against recent Fifa Women's World Cup participants Colombia.
The Colombians who defeated one of the pre-Women World Cup favouites France, 2-0 at the tournament took a fourth minute lead through Ingrid Vidal and dominated possession for most of the match, but the Women Soca Warriors never dropped their heads and with three minutes left, Cordner capitalized on a blunder by goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda to stab home the loose ball.
It was the second time late match heroics saved the T&T women, who got a last gasp goal from captain Maylee Attin-Johnson in a 2-2 draw with Argentina in their group opener on Sunday at the same venue.
With the two points, T&T remained third on the four-team table, two behind Colombia which had a 1-0 win over Mexico in its curtain raiser. Mexico is second after whipping Argentina 3-1 in Tuesday's first match with a goal each from Teresa Noyla, Nayeli Rangel and Jennifer Ruiz while Florencia Bansegundo scored for the South Americans, who have one point.
On Sunday in the final round of Group A matches, T&T goes up against Mexico in a must win match and will be seeking to avenge a 1-0 Women's Gold Cup loss from 5.35pm while Argentina battles Colombia at 8.35pm.
.......Williams and Withfield stumble
At the Chevrolet Beach Volleyball Centre, top local men's beach volleyball pair,Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield came within two points of extending their match against Chilean brothers, Marcos and Esteban Grimalt to three sets, before falling 11-21, 20-22 to drop to 0-2 in the four-team pool.
Having gone under to Norceca Tour rivals, Puerto Ricans, Roberto Rodriguez and Erick Haddock, 12-21, 15-21 in 32 minutes in their opening match on Monday, the Toco-born T&T play must now defeat El Salvador's Carlos Escobar and David Vargas today at noon to have any chance of advancing to the knockout phase.
And in the afternoon session, local women's pair, Ayanna Dyette and Malika Davidson also put up a very commendable showing in losing top one of the all-time top Norceca Tour pairs in Mexicans, Bibiana Candelas and Martha Revuelta, 23-25, 7-21 in 34 minutes.
It was the second loss in as many matches for Dyette and Davidson who were beaten by Argentines Ana
Gallay and Georgina Klug 11-21, 13-21 in their Pool D opener in 38 minutes on Tuesday.
Up next for the T&T women from 4.30 pm today is top Cuban pair, Linma Flores and Leila Martinez.
......Sailor Arrindell bags 38 points
At the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, T&T's 18-year-old Kelly Arrindell was third, seventh and seventh in the women's laser fifth, sixth and seventh races respectively for seventh spot overall with 38 net points, 11 out of a medal place.
Olympian Andrew Lewis stayed in the hunt for a top three finish as he ended eighth, seventh and seventh in his three races on the day in the men's laser class for 38 net points, and seventh spot overall as well, 12 out of a medal spot.
Both men and women events were scheduled to have race eight yesterday, but results were not available up to pres time while races nine and ten are carded for today from 11.35 and 1.35 pm respectively.
Today at the Pan Am Fields, the national men's hockey team will be hoping to bounce back from their 11-0 mauling from powerhouse Argentina when they tackle Cuba from 9 am in Pool A, a rematch of their Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games final, Cuba won 5-1 last November in Guadalajara, Mexico.
In their opener, Cuba battled to an entertaining 3-3 draw with USA, T&T's final round-robin opponent on Saturday from 11 am at the end of which the quarterfinals will take place.
Also today, T&T golfers Sachin Humar and Talin Rajendranath will compete in round one of men's competition from 8 am while women's pair Monifa Sealy and Christina Ferreira tee off at 10.12 am.