The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

National record holder Lamar Taylor brought home the first medal for The Bahamas yesterday at the 19th Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

The 20-year-old once again turned in a top performance and not only earned a bronze medal but also set a new personal best and national record in the men’s 50 metres freestyle at the Centro Acuàtico in Ñuñoa, Chile.

After Monday’s performance in the men’s 100m backstroke, Taylor was in top form in the pool at the Pan Am Games.

He booked his trip to the finals when he secured one of the top three positions in the men’s 50m freestyle (heat four) with a time of 22.48 seconds.

The Henderson State University student powered his way to the wall and stopped the clock in a swift 22.13 seconds in the finals.

The 20-year-old smashed his previous personal best and national record of 22.26 seconds achieved in July at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

Overall, he finished ranked third out of 16 competitors in the aquatics event.

Thanks to the strong performance from Taylor in the short-distance event, The Bahamas has already matched their medal total from the 2019 Pan American Games with one.

Victoria Russell also competed yesterday at the Pan Am Games. She placed sixth in the women’s 50m freestyle with a time of 27.54 seconds.

The 23-year-old ended ranked 29th out of 34 competitors in the event.Competition continues today for the swimmers.

Emmanuel Gadson is all set for the men’s 200m individual medley heats.

Jack Barr will join him in competition today in the men’s 1,500m freestyle.

Zaylie Thompson will also perform in the women’s 200m individual medley.

The tennis sporting discipline picks back up today for doubles matchups.

The duo of Sydney Clarke and Justin Roberts will team up against Paraguay’s Leyla Britez and Martin Vergara at Centro Deportivo de Tenis.

The Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC) selected a 20-member team to represent the country at the Pan Am Games.

The members are competing in six sporting disciplines - sailing, tennis, swimming, athletics, golf and wrestling. The team has nine swimmers, five track and field athletes, a trio of tennis players, one sailor, golfer and wrestler.

Over 6,800 athletes from 41 countries are vying for a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The event will conclude on November 5.