Trinidad and Tobago’s ace cyclist Nicholas Paul continued his rich early season form as he wrapped up another double gold medal-winning outing at the just-concluded Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles, California.

Paul’s medals were won in his customary events, the men's Keirin and Sprint, and followed his fairly successful outing at the UCI Championships in Hong Kong where he recovered from a two-cycle collision in the Keirin to win the Sprint.

The 23-year-old again expressed gratitude for the continued support as he represents the twin island republic with much gusto.

“It is always an honour to represent my country and the Pan American region. Thank you to everyone for all the love and continued support. The Journey continues and the next stop will be the Nations Cup in Milton, Canada. So, I just want to continue putting in the hard work and let it show in my performances,” Paul said.

In the Keirin, Paul topped Colombia’s Kevin Quintero, while another Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Kwesi Browne copped bronze.

However, it took a photo-finish to separate Paul and another Colombian Cristian Ortega for the Sprint crown. Paul bettered his South American rival in the first ride before edging ahead in the second ride on the line by millimeters to retain his title.

Meanwhile, Akil Campbell was also among the medals, as he won a bronze medal in the men's scratch race.

In other results at the meet, Alexi Ramirez finished eighth in the women's elimination race and in the women's scratch race, while Makaira Wallace and Phoebe Sandy placed 13th and 17th in the women's sprint qualification, respectively.

In a night of celebration and recognition, cyclist Nicholas Paul and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye emerged as the senior sportsman and sportswoman of the year, respectively, at the prestigious 61st edition of the First Citizens Sports Foundation Sports Awards and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. The event, held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Saturday night, honored the outstanding achievements of Trinidad and Tobago's finest athletes.

Nicholas Paul, 25, was lauded for his remarkable performances throughout 2023, culminating in a historic silver medal at the 2023 International Cycling Union World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. As the world record holder in the flying 200m, Paul showcased his prowess on the global stage, demonstrating unparalleled speed and skill.

Adding to his accolades, Paul showcased his versatility and dominance at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where he successfully defended his sprint title and secured silver in the men's keirin event. His stellar achievements solidified his status as one of the nation's premier cyclists, earning him the coveted senior sportsman of the year award.

Meanwhile, Michelle-Lee Ahye's exceptional year was highlighted by her outstanding performance at the Pan American Games, where she clinched bronze in the women's 100-metre event with a time of 11.53 seconds. Ahye's podium finish marked a significant milestone in her illustrious career and reaffirmed her status as TT's most elite women's sprinter.

Ahye's stellar track record includes a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, further cementing her reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the world of sprinting. Her consistent excellence in local and international competitions earned her the esteemed title of sportswoman of the year.

Both Ahye and Paul were also honored with the 2023 TT Olympic Committee senior awards in December, further underscoring their exceptional contributions to Trinidad and Tobago's sporting legacy.

In addition to the senior awards, swimmer Nikoli Blackman and track and field athlete Janae De Gannes were recognized as the youth sportsman and sportswoman of the year, respectively. Blackman's stellar performance at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, where he secured three gold medals, showcased his immense talent and potential on the global stage.

Similarly, De Gannes' remarkable achievements, including a silver medal in the women’s long jump at the Commonwealth Youth Games and a record-breaking performance at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Games Under-18 meet, earned her well-deserved acclaim as a rising star in Trinidad and Tobago's sporting landscape.

As Trinidad and Tobago's sporting heroes continue to inspire and captivate audiences both at home and abroad, the First Citizens Sports Foundation Awards serve as a testament to their unwavering dedication, passion, and excellence in their respective fields.

Ace Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Nicholas Paul was involved a two-cycle crash in the Mens Keirin semifinals at the UCI Championships in Hong Kong, on Saturday.

Fortunately, Paul, 25, an Elite sprinter and World Record holder, only suffered minor bruises and will rest up for the Men's Sprint competition on Sunday.

“I am good. Just some track burns,” Paul told SportsMax.TV.

Though slightly disappointed by the fall, he remains focused on the task at hand, and is intent on making amends in Sunday's event.

The decorated Paul, whose accolades includes Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games Sprint gold medals, will be joined by his compatriot Kwesi Browne in Sunday’s men’s sprint competition.

Despite Paul’s fall, Browne pushed on to reach the finals of the keirin and had a creditable performance and finished sixth overall.

Cyclist Nicholas Paul and track and field athlete ​Michelle-Lee Ahye are the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) 2023 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year winners respectively.

The announcements were made at the 29th Annual TTOC Awards ceremony at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Friday night.

It was Paul's third TTOC Sportsman of the Year award after winning the prize in 2019 and 2021.

The 25-year-old had a memorable year on the track with the highlight being at the 2023 International Cycling Union World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August where he earned a historic silver medal.

Paul, the world record holder in the individual men's sprint, had his hands full in the final as he was up against Dutch Olympic champion Harrie Lavreysen, who prevailed in consecutive rides to win his fifth straight World Championship title.

It was Paul's second World Championship silver after copping second in the 1K time trial event in 2021.

Later in 2023, Paul showed his class at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile defending the sprint title he won at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. He and also bagged silver in the men's keirin.

Ahye, 31, who last won the Sportswoman of the Year award in 2021, was given the nod ahead of road cyclist Teniel Campbell.

One of the best moments of 2023 for Ahye was at the Pan American Games where she grabbed bronze in the women's 100-metre event in 11.53 seconds, her country’s only track and field medal at the games.

It was her second Pan Am medal after copping silver at the 2019 edition in Lima, Peru.

In 2023, Campbell became the first black woman to complete the Tour De France Femmes. She rode 960km over eight days during the event. Campbell was brought to tears during the feature address on Friday, recalling all the injuries she had to endure during the year.

It was no surprise that swimmer Nikoli Blackman won the junior sportsman of the year award.

Blackman, 18, splashed his way to a gold medal in the men's 50-metre freestyle event at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships 2023 in Netanya, Israel in September.

Weeks before the World Junior Championships, Blackman thrilled his home supporters at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games held in T&T.

At the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Blackman copped three gold medals as he ended the meet as T&T's best athlete.

The junior sportswoman of the year award went to track and field athlete Sanaa Frederick.

Frederick, who recently committed to the University of Georgia alongside her twin sister Sole, won one gold medal (Under-20 200m), two silver medals (Under-20 4x100m relay, Under-20 4x400m relay) and one bronze medal (Under-20 100m) at the Carifta Games in Bahamas.

At the Commonwealth Youth Games she copped two bronze medals in the women's 100m and 4x100m mixed relay.

It did not end there for Frederick as she earned a silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador in the women's 4x100m relay.

​The men's 3x3 basketball team of Moriba De Freitas, Chike Augustine and twin brothers Ahkeel and Ahkeem Boyd took home the sports personality of the year award. Cyclist Alexi Costa-Ramirez copped the future is female award and Paul also won the people's choice award.

Former TTOC president Brian Lewis received a special recognition for his role in TT winning the bid to host the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.

Winning the Alexander B Chapman Award for contribution to sport and Olympism was swim coach Lorraine Boland Van Druten, who has decades of experience.

Steven Stamkos recorded the tying goal with 4.8 seconds left in regulation, and Brandon Hagel scored on a breakaway 1:19 into overtime to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a stunning 5-4 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins on Monday.

Both Stamkos and Hagel added assists as the Lightning won a season-high third consecutive game. Tampa Bay also received goals from Tanner Jeannot, Nicholas Paul and Austin Watson to back 23 saves from Jonas Johansson.

Stamkos' dramatic goal capped a wild third period in which the Bruins scored three times to erase a 2-1 deficit. David Pastrnak and John Beecher scored 1:21 apart to put Boston ahead, though Watson's first of the season forged a 3-3 tie with just over 11 minutes left.

Charlie Coyle briefly sent the Bruins back in front by putting home a feed from James van Riemsdyk with 3:51 left in regulation.

Boston, which got 41 saves from Jeremy Swayman, still managed to extend its point streak to six games (4-0-2). Pastrnak added an assist on Pavel Zacha's goal midway through the first period that tied the game at 1-1.

Stars score five third-period goals to end Rangers' point streak

The Dallas Stars erupted for five third-period goals to end the New York Rangers' 11-game point streak with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory.

Mason Marchment scored the go-ahead goal 7:06 into the third period, and Sam Steel and Roope Hintz each scored short-handed to help the Stars pull away and win for the fifth time in six games.

Hintz added two assists and both Marchment and Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist to support 30 saves from Scott Wedgewood. 

Pavelski started the third-period barrage by registering his eighth of the season just 1:01 into the period, tying the game at 2-2. Six minutes later, Marchment poked the puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on a play that was originally ruled a no-goal before being overturned by a coaches' challenge.

Tyler Seguin later extended Dallas' lead to 4-2 before Steel and Hintz both scored just 1:30 apart with the Rangers having pulled Shesterkin for an extra skater while on a power play.

New York, which came in having won four straight and on a 10-0-1 run, opened the scoring on Vincent Trocheck's power-play goal in the first period. Kaapo Kakko increased the margin in the second before Jamie Benn's goal brought Dallas within 2-1 with 5:37 left in the period.

Shesterkin stopped 30 of 34 shots in the loss. 

Predators shock Avalanche with two goals in final minute

Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin each scored in the final minute of regulation to give the Nashville Predators an improbable 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche were well on the way towards a fourth straight victory when carrying a 3-2 lead into the late stages of the third period. However, Forsberg scored his second goal of the night with 37.7 seconds remaining, and Trenin knocked a rebound past Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev with 21.6 seconds left to complete the comeback.

Jeremy Lauzon added a goal and Gustav Nyquist recorded two assists to help Nashville to a second straight win following a four-game losing streak. Juuse Saros finished with 25 saves.

Lauzon scored less than four minutes into the second period to give the Predators a 2-1 lead, but Colorado's Devon Toews tied it later in the frame before the Avalanche went ahead on Valeri Nichushkin's power-play goal with 6:27 left in the second.

Colorado's Andrew Cogliano opened the scoring with a short-handed goal in the first period.

Cale Makar ended with three assists for the Avalanche, who also got two assists from Nathan MacKinnon and 26 saves from Georgiev.

A series of unstoppable performances on the International Cycling Union (UCI) circuits in Canada and Germany, followed by a classy display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina, a performance which complemented a gold medal win at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Add to that another double medal-winning performance at the Pan American (PanAm) Games in Santiago, Chile.

For many, that would more than represent a successful cycling career. But for Trinidad and Tobago's Nicholas Paul, this is only the beginning. In fact, despite his many successes to date, Paul still views his career as a work in progress, possibly because he is still hunting that one prize or moment to really define things and that is the Olympic Games dream.

Much like he did at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina where he won the Sprints and Keirin, while clocking a new track record 9.349 seconds in the flying 200m, Paul once again demonstrated his qualities as one of the best track cyclists in the world when he won gold in the final of the Men’s Sprint at the 2023 Pan American Games.

The outstanding 25-year-old out-paced his rival Jair Tjon of Suriname to top the podium, while Kevin Santiago Qunitero Chavarro of Colombia bettered Canada’s Nicholas John Wammes in the race for the bronze medal.

For Paul, the win added to his Pan Am Games title won in Lima, Peru in 2019 and he rightly expressed delight at the accomplishments.

“Firstly I would like to thank God for a safe meet. I am very pleased with my performance at this stage of the season because my preparation coming into the Pan-American Games was really good, and so I knew it was all left to my execution as the key factor which would determine how things would turnout.

“Fortunately, I executed well both in the flying 200m and the Sprints achieving some excellent results. Creating a new games record is always a special moment for me and my country,” Paul told SportsMax.tv.

The modest twin island republic cyclist returned a day later to cop a silver medal in the Men’s Keirin final.

On that occasion, Paul used his electric sprint speed in the final lap to power himself to second place, after falling behind the pack with a couple of laps remaining in the six-lap event.

The event was won by Colombia's Kevin Quintero, the reigning world champion in the event, while Mexico's Juan Ruiz Teran was third.

Paul, who has been a model of consistency throughout the season, attributed his continuous improvement and, by extension, success to the time spent in training honing his craft.

“It’s means a lot to me just to know that my hard work is paying off and I’m able to show the world that Trinidad and Tobago has a lot of talent. Like I said before, my preparations for the PanAm Games have been great and so I am pleased that I was able to accomplish all my goals to an extent,” he shared.

That said, Paul hinted at the possibility of much more to come, as he intends to continue pushing the limits and discover what he is truly able to achieve –next year’s Olympic Games in Paris being his next immediate target.

“It’s all a work in progress, my plan is to build on this performance and to do so, I intend to keep putting in those hard hours to keep getting stronger and faster. My overall goal for this year and beyond is to firstly qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games and secondly, try to win a medal or medals at the Olympic Games for Trinidad and Tobago. But for now, the focus is some much-needed rest and recovery," Paul declared.

Trinidadian cyclist Nicholas Paul followed up his Men’s Sprint gold medal at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile with a silver medal in the Men’s Keirin final on Friday.

The 25-year-old, who won gold in the men's sprint event at the Velodromo Penalolen on Thursday, used his electric sprint speed in the final lap to power himself to second place, after falling behind the pack with a couple of laps remaining in the six-lap event.

The keirin final was won by Colombia's Kevin Quintero, the reigning world champion in the event, while Mexico's Juan Ruiz Teran finished in third spot.

Paul also took Keirin gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Nicholas Paul of Trinidad and Tobago once again demonstrated his qualities as one of the best track cyclists in the world when he won gold in the final of the Men’s Sprint at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Thursday.

The outstanding 25-year-old Trinidadian out-paced his rival Suriname’s Jair Tjon to claim gold and his second Pan Am Games title to go with the one he won in Lima, Peru in 2019.

In the race for the bronze medal, Kevin Santiago Qunitero Chavarro of Colombia bettered Canada’s Nicholas John Wammes.

Trinidad and Tobago's Nicholas Paul made history on Monday by winning the silver medal in the men's sprint final at the UCI World Championships.

Paul, 24, became the most decorated cyclist in his country's history with the achievement, surpassing the previous record of one silver medal set by Roger Gibbon in 1967.

Paul lost the final to Olympic champion Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands in two consecutive rides. In the first ride, Paul started from the front and made an early move, but Lavreysen was able to come back and edge him out at the line. The second ride was not as close, as Paul made a slight mistake that allowed Lavreysen to pull away and win comfortably.

Despite the loss, Paul's silver medal is a major accomplishment for the young cyclist. He is now the only person from Trinidad and Tobago to have won a medal at the UCI World Championships, and he is one of only a handful of riders from the Caribbean to have achieved the feat.

He may not fancy wearing the cycling gold-medal favourites tag, but Nicholas Paul's current vein of form certainly puts him in that position heading into the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador. 

Paul, who started his season with a series of unstoppable performances at the UCI Nation’s Cup in Milton Canada, as well as the ‘Speed Paradise’ and the Carnival of Speed events at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva, all in April, followed that up with victory in the Men’s Elite Sprint at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Class One event in Germany recently.

The Trinidad and Tobago stalwart again placed his class on display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina where he won the Sprints and Keirin, while clocking a new track record 9.349 seconds in the flying 200m.

Paul also joined forces with compatriots to place second in the Team Sprint and he rightly expressed delight at the accomplishments.

"Firstly, I would like to give God thanks because without him none of this would be possible. The Pan American Cycling champions in Argentina was a great experience, my races were well executed, and I am very happy with my performance," Paul told SportsMax.tv.

"It was also great to have my countrymen there with me and a great feeling to have won a team medal as well. Everyone on the team played their part, we performed accordingly and came out with a good result," he added.

While those performances represent a massive boost to his CAC Games charge and positions him to achieve other targets this year, the 24-year-old is by no means grandstanding against rivals in El Salvador.

"I am definitely pleased with another solid performance going into the CAC Games. It's all about trying to be consistent while working towards my ultimate goal which is Olympic Games qualification.

"But every event is different, and I am confident but not overconfident, so my plan presently is to just do my best for my country while taking things one competition at a time," he shared.

Though the mindset is always to improve on previous performances and that requires a holistic approach and a strategic vision of what he wants to achieve. 

"Presently I don’t have any planned changes to my programme for CAC Games, however, I’m always focused on getting better at my craft every day, therefore changes can be made accordingly, but we will see how that goes as time goes by," Paul said.

It is so far so good for top Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Nicholas Paul on the international circuit, and he is determined to keep that rhythm going for the remainder of the season.

While he is well aware that it is easier said than done, Paul has no intentions of overthinking things. Instead, the 24-year-old is focused on the basics –ensuring he is fit, healthy and trusting the process.

Paul's revelation came after he won the Men’s Elite Sprint gold medal at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Class One event in Germany recently, which he believes puts him on course to achieve his targets this year.

The win followed his series of unstoppable performances at the UCI Nation’s Cup in Milton Canada, as well as the ‘Speed Paradise’ and the Carnival of Speed events at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva, all in April.

"My race in Germany was great. I came away with the victory in the sprints and I executed all my other races well, so I’m really pleased with my performance," Paul said.

"So, in terms of my readiness and preparations, I am on track in regard to my set goals, I just have to keep working hard to get faster, stronger and smarter for the rest of my upcoming races," he added.

In any sport, there are always ups and downs and when things are going bad it seems a bit harder, much like Paul experienced during a challenging but successful 2022 season through which he had to exercise patience, persistence and more importantly, smile in the face of adversity.

At the start of that season, Paul crashed and broke his collarbone at the First Nations Cup in Glasgow, Scotland and was out of training and competitions for about two months. 

After recovering from that injury, the Gasparillo-born cyclist went on to win two gold medals at the Third Nations Cup in Cali, Colombia and followed that up with impressive performances at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games Record in the flying 200m Time Trial. He also won a full set of medals gold, silver and bronze in the Keirin, Sprints and 1km Time Trial.

But then came another setback.

"My last event should have been the World Championship in France. However, another unfortunate crash in preparation for the World Championship prematurely ended my 2022 season," Paul shared.

"So, there were a lot of highs and lows last season, but they taught me a lot as an athlete. My mental preparedness in sports has been enhanced and I am very clear that nothing is impossible once you put your mind to it. Hurdles are sometimes a part of life but the lesson is how you rise above your hurdles," he said.

Now that things are back on track and he is currently enjoying a high, Paul is hoping to add more silverware from the Pan American Cycling Championships, the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, World Championships and the Pan American Games, to his collection.

"But my overall goal for this year and beyond is to firstly qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games and secondly, try to win a medal or medals at the Olympic Games for Trinidad and Tobago," Paul declared.

Nicholas Paul completed a successful weekend Sunday winning gold in the Men’s Elite Sprint at the Tissot UCI Nations Cup meet in Milton, Canada.

The 25-year-old Trinidadian, the 2022 Commonwealth Games Keirin gold medalist, out-sped Poland’s Mateusz Rudyk to take the win and 800 points on Sunday.

Australia’s Matthew Richardson finished third.

Paul and Richardson reversed positions in the Men’s Keirin on Saturday with the Australian taking gold over Maximillian Dornbach of Germany. Paul had to settle for third.

Trinidad and Tobago athletes who won medals at the recently concluded 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, will have some extra cash to spend this year under the twin-island republic Ministry of Sports’ Reward and Incentives Framework, according to reports.

Under the programme, cyclist Nicholas Paul and sprinter Jereem Richards will be the primary beneficiaries as both men are responsible for the three gold medals the country won in Birmingham.

Paul won gold in the keirin, silver in the match sprint and bronze in the 1000m time trials and is set to receive TT$437,500 while Richards, who won the 200m title in a Games record 19.80 and anchored the country’s 4x400m relay to the gold medal is set to receive TT$375,000.

According to the Trinidad Guardian, athletes competing in relay team events will earn $125,000 each for a gold medal, $62,500 for silver and for bronze, $31,250. Individual gold medals get a whopping TT$250,000.

That means Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio will each get $125,000 and the members of the 4x100 metres team - Jerod Elcock, Eric Harrison Jnr, Kion Benjamin and Kyle Greaux - will each get $62,500 for their silver medal run.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Paul won the bronze medal in the 1000m time trial on Monday at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Fresh off his gold medal performance in the keirin on Saturday, Nicholas Paul picked up his second medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on Sunday when he won silver in the Men’s Sprint finals.