TRINIDAD AND Tobago’s diver Alyssa Ramlakhan grabbed her second gold medal, in as many attempts, following her performance yesterday, in the 3M (three-metre) Springboard event, at the National Aquatic Centre, Couva.
Ramlakhan copped her first gold medal on Friday in the 1M event and continued her impressive showing on the Springboard at the 2017 CCCAN Championships where she defeated her main competitor Maria Jose Mancia Aguilar of El Salvador to claim the gold yet again.
Speaking to Newsday after her second gold medal dive, Alyssa stated, “I am very proud of myself because I trained really hard in the buildup to the competition and it is really rewarding to win gold, in both of the events I competed in, while also executing my routines the way my coach wanted me to.” Ramlakhan detailed the her experiences when she took to the platform stating, “At first I was nervous because it is such a big competition but coach Hannah (Talbot) kept telling me to stay calm, breathe and take my time on the board, as her experience of being in a similar position helped me, otherwise I would have been really scared.” The 20-year-old Talbot was pleased with the performances of her athlete throughout the competition.
“Along with being 11-years-old and competing in an international tournament, I am really pleased with her executions of the routines and nailing the objectives we set out to achieve.” Minister of Sport, Daryl Smith, was also present at the Aquatic Centre yesterday where he extended his congratulations towards Ramlakhan, stating, “Alyssa did not only make history in Trinidad and Tobago by winning the first gold medals in diving at the facility but she also set a benchmark for young athletes to follow suit and gravitate towards the sport as I am very proud of her.” The diving events were followed by synchronised swimming where the hosts did not have a representing team. However, there was an exhibition at the end of the event from a local synchronised swim team.
Other Diving Results - 3M Springboard Male Open: 1.Frandiel Gomez (Guatemala); 2.Anderson Cruz (Guatemala); 3.Jose Caldeison (Dominican Republic).
3M Springboard Female Open: 1.Angela Hernandez (Guatemala); 2.Alexandra Beatriz Mancía Aguila (El Salvador).