Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling sensation, Nicholas Paul, is set to continue his quest for a medal at the 2025 Tissot UCI Track World Championships in Santiago, Chile. The 27-year-old sprinter will compete in the men’s sprint semifinals on October 26, the final day of the event. However, Paul faces a formidable opponent in Dutch cyclist Harrie Lavreysen, a 19-time world champion who has already secured the men’s keirin and 1K time trial titles at this championship. The semifinal showdown between Paul and Lavreysen is scheduled for approximately 10 am (TT time), while world record holder Matthew Richardson of Great Britain and Australia’s Leigh Hoffman will clash in the first semifinal.
Paul’s journey to the semifinals has been marked by impressive performances. On October 25, he triumphed over Israel’s Mikhail Yakolev in the quarterfinals, winning both races in their best-of-three matchup. Despite Yakolev’s aggressive start in the first race, Paul showcased his resilience and tactical prowess to secure victory. In the second race, Paul executed a decisive early move to edge out his opponent and advance to the semifinals.
Paul’s motivation is further fueled by his desire to avenge his runner-up finish against Lavreysen in the 2023 world championships sprint finale. The 2025 final is set to take place at 12:44 pm on October 26.
In other quarterfinal matches, Lavreysen defeated France’s Rayan Helal, Richardson overcame Japan’s Kaiya Ota, and Hoffman staged a remarkable comeback to beat Netherlands’ Jeffrey Hoogland. Earlier in the day, Paul demonstrated his sprinting prowess by cruising through the qualifying, 1/16, and 1/8 finals. He clocked the sixth-fastest time in the qualifying round at 9.475 seconds, while Richardson set the fastest time at 9.210 seconds.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Makaira Wallace finished 22nd in the women’s 1K time trial, and Teniel Campbell placed 19th in the women’s individual pursuit. In the men’s omnium, Akil Campbell found himself at the back of the 24-man field after the initial races on October 25.