media_artricles :: 2014

Half empty, half filled

Bovell hat-trick, Borel repeat the highlight of local team’s CAC exploits

Express journalist Donstan Bonn revisits Trinidad and Tobago’s overall performance at last month’s CAC Games in Mexico

The XXII Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico, dubbed Veracruz 2014, was a resounding success, if anything, spliced with one glorious achievement after another despite the sporting showpiece missing some the region’s leading athletes.

Held mainly in the city of Veracruz from November 14-30 and featuring some 5,700 athletes from 31 countries doing battle in 46 sporting disciplines, it provided a spectacle of true sportsmanship, tenacity, skill and class.

Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) may be disappointed by its final medal count of 11, comprised of two gold, one silver and eight bronze, which was a far cry from its 2010 medal haul of 34 (nine gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze) in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

But without the services of some the outstanding track and field achievers in 2010 such as women’s long jump gold medalist Rhonda Watkins, who set a games records of 6.67 metres; women’s 100m hurdles winner Aleesha Barber; men’s 4x100m relay champions with a games record of 38.24 seconds; and Annie Alexander, who earned women’s discus silver and bronze in the shot put, T&T would have been hard pressed to imitate its performance four years ago.

However, there were reasons to remain positive as Olympic swimming medalist George Bovell completed a hat-trick of 50m freestyle titles with a 22.30 seconds clocking, which was just outside the CAC Games record of 22.23 he set in 2010.

In achieving this milestone, Bovell eclipsed Puerto Rico’s Ricardo Busquets, who won back-to-back gold in 1998 and 2002 in the exact same time of 22.55 seconds, which was the previous record.

And shot putter Cleopatra Borel successfully defended her women’s shot put title with an 18.99m effort, bettering her 18.76m golden throw four years earlier. For Borel it was a fitting closure to her season after claiming silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, with an 18.75m effort. It also made her the first woman to successfully defend the shot put crown.

What was more significant about Borel’s achievement is that she became the first athlete the break Cuba’s dominance at this event. Prior to this year the only time, since its introduction to the CAC Games in 1966, that Cuba has not won women’s shot put gold was in 2002 and 2010, the two editions where they did not compete. They took all three spots on the prize rostrum in 1970 and 1974; had one-two finishes in 1978,’82, ’86, ’90, ’93, ’98, and 2006 where Borel earned bronze with an 18.33m effort, and also captured gold at the inaugural event in 1966.

This time around, Cuba’s Yaniuvis Lopez (17.88) and Saily Viart (17.21) had to settle for second and fourth positions, respectively. Borel, who indicated this was her last appearance at the CAC Games, said she wanted to go out representing T&T with pride.

Also turning in decent performances were Mickel Thomas, who was fifth in the men’s 110-metre hurdles final in 13.83 seconds and Kyle Greaux, fifth in the men’s 200m final in 20.95 seconds. Jamal James was a creditable ninth in the men’s 1,500m event in four minutes, 00:58 seconds.

Brian Lewis, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, said that the time of the year was a definite constraint for the country’s leading track and field athletes as most would have either ended or were just beginning their season.

“We simply had to operate with the team put forward by the track and field body, however, it was an important games for team sports as it relates to gaining qualification for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio as well as next year’s Pan American Games.”

Lewis said T&T’s men hockey team gained qualification for Pan Am on the back of their silver medal performance. “Currently the focus is on the athletes and inspiring them towards the goal of achieving 10 Olympic gold medals by 2024,” Lewis continues, “But if we don’t get serious about high performance sports we are going to be left behind.”

He said that the TTOC went to the games with the theme of honouring athletes who has given longstanding service and dedication to T&T over the years and as such, five time CAC Games competitor Dexter St Louis, who was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony while volleyball standout Nolan Tash carried the national flag at the closing ceremony.

T&T dropped two places on the medal table, moving from eighth position in 2010 to tenth.

Cuba topped the medal table with 121 gold, 65 silver and 64 bronze for a total of 250 medals; followed by host Mexico with 114 gold, 105 silver and 110 bronze for a total of 329.

T&T stand 11th on the all-time list of CAC Games performances with 43 gold, 76 silver and 101 bronze medals. Cuba heads that list with 1,752 gold, 889 silver and 679 bronze medals.

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