Five Young Vincentian Swimmers won 1 gold, 11 silver and 4 bronze medals at the annual Barbados Short Course Swimming Championships from 6th to 11th December.
The performances of two members of the team qualified them for next year’s CARIFTA Swimming Championships in the Bahamas in April.
Mya De Freitas of the Black Sands Swim Club won silver in the 400-metres Girls Freestyle 11-12 age-group with a time of 5 minutes, 17 seconds.
Her time qualified her for the 2017 CARIFTA Swimming Championships. Other Vincentian Swimmers who have already qualified are Nikolas Sylvester, Shane Cadougan, Cruz Halbich, Aaron De Freitas, Mya’s older brother, Alex Joachim and sister, Shne’ Joachim.
Jamie Joachim also of the Black Sands Swim Club, won two bronze medals in Girls 9-10 age group 100-metres Freestyle in a time of 1 minute, 23.36 seconds, and in the 200-metres Girls Freestyle with a time of 2 minutes, 58.09 seconds.
“Both girls swam extremely well in their last competition for 2016. Jamie Joachim is proving that she has all the capabilities to match the swimming success of her older siblings and Mya Defreitas should feel extremely proud of her results. Swimming a Carifta qualifying time in her first year of the 11-12 years age group is fantastic achievement,” their coach Kyle Dougan commented.
Tavonte Forde of the Bequia United Swim Club won 8 silver medals and 1 bronze in the 10-year Category. His silver medals came in the 100-metres Freestyle in 1 minute, 13.27 seconds; the 100-metres Backstroke in1 minute, 32.92 seconds; the 400-metres Freestyle in 6 minutes, 28.05 seconds; 10.62 seconds; the 100-metres Individual Medley in 1 minute, 28.05 seconds; the 50-metres Backstroke in 42.69 seconds; the 200-metres Individual Medley in 3 minutes, 10.80 seconds; the 100-metres Breaststroke in 1 minute, 42.11 seconds; and the 50-metres Freestyle in 33.08 seconds. Ford also won a bronze medal in the 50-metres Breaststroke in 44.72 seconds.
Tyrell Ragguette also of the Bequia United Swim Club won a gold medal in the Boys 17-year 800-metres Freestyle in 10 minutes, 42.04 seconds, and also won silver medals in 200-metres Breaststroke in 2 minutes, 55.72 seconds, and the 400-metres Freestyle in 4 minutes, 58.17 seconds.
Tyrell’s brother, Samari Ragguette won bronze for the Bequia United Swim Club in the Boys 11-12 year Category 800-metres Freestyle in 13 minutes, 22.56 seconds.