...lowest medal tally since 1990
T&T ended the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, in Veracruz, Mexico in tenth spot with 11 medals, two gold, one silver and eight bronze from 197 athletes.
The medal tally was the smallest return for this country since 1990 in Mexico, when T&T managed 13 medals, five silver and eight bronze.
Last time in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico T&T captured 34 medals, nine gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze for eighth spot on the medal table while in Colombia (2006) T&T won 21 medals (one gold, nine silver and 11 bronze), 2002 in El Salvador T&T bagged 17 medals (five gold, one silver and 11 bronze); 1998 in Venezuela, T&T won 14 medals (one gold, eight silver and five bronze) and five years prior in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the T&T contingent picked up 26 medals, three gold, seven silver and 16 bronze.
With the 11 medals won in Veracruz, it moved the red, white and black, to 11th on the overall table with a total 209 medals, 41 gold, 75 silver and 93 bronze to be the second ranked English-speaking Caribbean country behind Jamaica’s 340 medal haul, 101 gold, 117 silver and 122 bronze.
Returning home from Veracruz with precious gold for T&T were shot putter Cleopatra Borel in the women’s shot put for a second straight year, and swimmer George Bovell who won a third straight men’s 50m freestyle title.
The senior men’s national men’s hockey team got the lone bronze medal after going down to Cuba 1-5 in their title match while bronze came via Dorian Alexander (taekwando), Curtis Humphreys/Dexter St Louis (table tennis), Roger Daniel (shooting), Christopher George (judo), Kwesi Browne (cycling), Bovell (swimming), Michael Alexander (boxing) and the men’s sevens rugby team.
Yesterday, on the final day of competition T&T’s senior men’s volleyball team suffered a fifth straight loss, 15-25, 21-25, 13-25 in their seventh place battle with Colombia at the Cordoba Arena.
The Colombians also swept past T&T 10-25, 23-25, 13-25 when both teams met in round-robin Pool A play earlier in the week.
In beach volleyball, Nancy Joseph and Ayanna Dyette ended ins eventh spot after battling past Sts Kitts/Nevis duo Brenda Allen and Shanicia Dyer 21-18, 23-21 in 25 mins on Satuday night.
Earlier in the day, Dyette and Joseph were beaten in their fifth to eight semifinal playoff against Guatemalans, Anna Ramirez and Bianca Recinos, 19-21, 11-21.
And, in the men’s tournament, T&T’s Fabien Whitfield and Daneil Williams closed out with a 21-19, 21-12 victory over Dominican Republic’s William Sanchez and Antonio Castillo for 11th.
This followed a shock 17-21, 21-11, 14-16 loss to Jamaicans, Ryck Webb-Mc Kenzie and Christopher Walters in their ninth to 12th semifinal, the same pair they defeated 21-10, 21-11 in their round-robin pool series earlier in the week.
At the Leyes de Reforma Aquatic Centre, the national men’s water polo team was edged out by Puerto Rico 12-13 for fifth spot after leading 7-6 at the half, after which Puerto Rico scored three straight and never trailed.
For the winners, Arturo Aponte scored four times while Alan Bago, Rafael Vidal, Francisco Vargas and Feranndo Zaya got two each and Yahveh Comas, the other.
On the otherhand, Ryan West led T&T with a hat-trick and Russell Ferreira and Jake Gillette two each, and the quintet of Daniel Alvarez, Daniel Abraham, Justin Bodden, Matthew George and Stanley John Littlepage, one apiece.
Despite the loss, it was a vast improvement for the T&T boys who were swept aside 9-15 by Puerto Rico in the round-robin phase.
CAC Games Final Medal Table
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Cuba 121 65 64 250
Mexico 114 105 110 329
Colombia 70 74 78 222
Venezuela 56 78 108 242
Dominican Republic 18 34 23 75
Puerto Rico 15 23 45 83
Guatemala 15 19 43 77
Bahamas 4 3 1 8
El Salvador 2 9 12 23
T&T 2 1 8 11