Nikoli Blackman's bold quest for a second gold medal at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, fell short on Saturday, as he finished sixth in the men's 100-metre freestyle final in a time of 49.54 seconds. The final was won by the United States' Maximus Williamson, who hit the wall in a time of 48.45 seconds. It was Williamson's fifth gold medal at the games.
Italy's Lorenzo Ballarati (49.05 seconds) and Australia's Edward Sommerville (49.16 seconds) finished the 100-metre freestyle final in second and third spot respectively. Ballarati, who advanced to the final with the slowest time of the eight finalists, made a big improvement on his time of 50.03 seconds in the semi to grab a silver medal – adding to his bronze medal from the 50-metre freestyle event.
Swimming out of lane two, the 18-year-old Blackman, who copped Trinidad and Tobago's lone medal at the games with his stunning gold medal feat in the men's 50-metre freestyle on Thursday, couldn't quite replicate a podium finish in the 100-metre event against the competitive field at the Wingate Institute Olympic pool.
At the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in TT in August, Blackman won three gold medals at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, ending the games as TT's most successful athlete.
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