Machel Cedenio became T&T’s fourth medallist at the Pan American Games when he won silver in the Men’s 400m final at the CIBC Athletics Stadium in Toronto last night. The 19-year-old crossed the line in 44.70 seconds to follow Dominican Republic’s Luguelin Santos (44.56) while American Kyle Clemons took the bronze in 44.84.
Curacao’s Nery Brenes (44.85) and T&T’s Jarrin Solomon (45.20) rounded out the top five.
Cedenio, a Point Fortin native, joined Cleopatra Borel Brown (gold), Njisane Phillip (silver) and George Bovell (bronze) as T&T’s medal winners at the Games, helping the country reach 16th place of 29 countries on the medal list.
In other events, Reyare Thomas just qualified for today’s women’s 200m final after managing a fifth place finish in her semifinal. Thomas, whose 22.88 was the slowest of the qualifying times, was outrun by Ecuador’s Angela Tenorio (22.59), Jamaican Simone Facey (22.64), American Kyra Jefferson (22.65) and Canadian Kimberly Hyainthe (22.81). In the other semifinal, her countrywoman Kamaria Durant missed out on qualification when she placed fourth in 22.94.
Durant earlier recorded a personal best of 22.74 to win her heat, beating Tenorio (22.86) and Kaylin Whitney (22.88), while Thomas was third in her heat in 23.30 behind Jamaican Kerron Stewart (22.97) and Jefferson (23.00).
Sprinters Rondel Sorrillo and Kyle Greaux were both eliminated from the men’s 200m at the semifinal stage last night. Sorrillo was sixth in his race in 20.61 as Panama’s Edward Alonso (20.09) and Cuban Roberto Skyers (20.09) copped the first two positions while Greaux came in seventh in his semi, clocking 20.69. Greaux earlier nabbed third place in heat two in 20.75 while Sorrillo (20.63) had advanced with a fifth place finish in heat three.
At press time, Quincy Wilson was tenth in the ongoing men’s discuss throw.
In field hockey, T&T’s men’s team went down 2-1 to USA in its 5th-8th place semifinal. William Holt put the Americans up 1-0 in the 27th minute though substitute forward Tariq Marcano equalised for T&T in the 36th. The even scoreline was short-lived though as Tyler Sundeen found the net two minutes later to put USA in a winning position. T&T will next face Mexico in a 7th-8th place match tomorrow at 9 am.
In today’s action, Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott will enter the javellin at 5.35 pm while cyclist Emile Abraham will contest the men’s road race at 4.05 pm.