The Colombian Martha Bayona with her first title in the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Trinidadian Nicholas Paul with his fourth gold in participations at this level, were the most outstanding news of the third date of competition in track cycling of the regional event that took place celebrated in San Salvador.
Bayona won the gold medal in the keirin test after the disqualification, for illegal lane invasion, of the Mexican Daniela Gaxiola, who had finished in first place. In this way, Colombia made the one-two in the test, as Valeria Cardozo finished with silver, while Yuli Verdugo, from Mexico, secured the bronze.
This was the first gold for Bayona in these Central Caribbean events, since in her previous participation in Barranquilla 2018 she had only been able to add one silver (speed) and a pair of bronzes (500 time trial and the keirin itself). “It was a medal that has a high meaning for me because I did not have first places at this level,” she told the media accredited to the event.
For his part, in the men’s sprint event the gold went to the Trinidadian favorite Nicholas Paul, after defeating his teammate Kwesi Browne in two sprints. This meant retaining the scepter that she had achieved in 2018, where she also won the team sprint and the kilometer time trial.
Colombian Kevin Quintero, champion of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, defeated Mexican Édgar Verdugo to win bronze.
A sudden drizzle at the San Salvador National Velodrome prevented the completion of the women’s points race, the last of the four omnium tests, but that did not prevent the awarding of the prizes in this tough specialty, as there was barely a sprint to be held.
The gold corresponded to the Mexican Victoria Velazco, with 132 points, followed by the Colombian Lina Rojas, with 124, and in the third drawer of the podium was the Barbadian Amber Joseph, with 119.
The fight in the medal table for nations now shows Mexico still ahead with four titles, while Colombia archives two and Trinidad and Tobago one.