Bovell makes big splash in world swim

NATIONAL swimming sensation George Bovell III broke the Trinidad and Tobago national record twice in one day, yesterday,  to book a place in today’s final of the men’s 200 metres individual medley at the World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

And the 19-year-old Auburn University, USA, student will match strokes with triple gold-medallist Ian “Thorpedo” Thorpe and a galaxy of world swimming stars in today’s final scheduled for 2.15 pm. Bovell III broke his own national record first in the heats and later went even faster in the semi-final swim in which he was third fastest overall - 1:59.86, a new Commonwealth record. The 6-foot 5-inch Bovell, who competes for Piranha Aquatics, clocked 2:00.94, the second fastest time in the heats, erasing his previous national mark of 2:01.35 which he set at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Hours later, Bovell outswam his field to touch the wall first in the first semi-final in 1:59.86.

American Michael Phelps broke his own world record in the second semi, touching the wall in 1:57.52, .42 seconds below his previous standard which he set in California last June. Olympic champ Massimiliano Rosolino of Italy followed Phelps in 1:59.84 while Australia’s Thorpe has the fifth fastest overall time of 2:00.42, after a fourth place finish in the same second semi-final.