Four Black Sands Swim Squad athletes, Shné and Alex Joachim, Justin and Nikolas Sylvester battled their way to more swimming success at the 23rd Annual Aquatic Center International Invitational in Barbados on 23rd – 25th May 2014. Eighteen clubs consisting of 319 top swimmers from the region took part in the event and SVG’s Black Sands swimmers were able to bring home a total fourteen medals whilst leaving their SVG swimming talents stamped firmly in the Barbados record books.
|
|
|
|
Shné’s younger brother Alex Joachim swam his way to a Gold medal in the 50 meters Butterfly in the boys 9-10 age group and also brought home a silver Medal in the 50 Meters Breaststroke.
Nikolas Sylvester added to the medal count by swimming his way to silver medal position in the 50, 100 and 200 Breaststroke in the Boys 13-14 age group whilst younger brother Justin Sylvester swam with improved strength, delivering 10 personal best times.
Black Sands coach Kyle Dougan said “once again our swimmers did St Vincent and the Grenadines proud when competing within the region. Shné swam one of her most solid performances yet, proving to the region that St Vincent and the Grenadines has a dominant force in the girls 13-14 swimming category.” Dougan was also able to assist in the medal count for Black Sands Swim Squad, swimming himself to a bronze medal in the men’s 15 year and over 50 meters Breaststroke.
Shné Joachim and Nikolas Sylvester will lead the SVG swimming contingent at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in late July. We wish the team success.
In spite of their limited training facility the elite swimmers of the SVGSF continue to establish SVG as a dominant force in Swimming. Their continued determination, successes and the ever increasing interest of young people joining the sport further confirm that expanding the Shrewsbury pool is a necessity to grow the sport in SVG. We thank the Government of St. Vincent for recognizing this need by granting the association permission to expand the pool facility and the assistance they will offer to carry out some of the work.