Bovell swims into record books

THE SMASHING gold medal performance of Trinidad and Tobago swimmer George Bovell on Monday at the Pan American Games has made all of Trinidad and Tobago proud.

Leading the praises heaped on the swimming star was Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes. The 20-year-old Auburn University swimmer clocked a new national record time of one minute 48.90 seconds as he struck gold in the 200-metre freestyle at the Juan Pablo Duarte Aquatic Centre, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Bovell, who also represents Piranha Aquatics, is the second national swimmer to claim a Pan Am medal, after Mark Andrews took bronze in the 100m free at the 1987 Games in Indianapolis, USA. The six-foot-five-inch tall Bovell placed fifth in his pet event, the 200m individual medley, at the recent World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Boynes, who congratulated both Bovell and coach Anil Roberts via a telephone call, also sent a message to the swim team at the Games Village yesterday. “You continue to make your entire country proud by your achievement, which has taken us to the top of the swimming fraternity,” stated Boynes. “Your comendable accomplishment makes you a worthy ambassador and an inspiration to not only the nation’s youth, but to all citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and the region as a whole,” he said. “Your performance is a tribute to true sportsmanship,” ended Boynes.

Al Roberts, president of the Piranha Aquatics Swim Club, also sent a message of congrats to Bovell yesterday. “Once again you have made your family, your club, your country and the entire Central American and Caribbean region justly proud by your aquatic excellence,” said Al Roberts, father of Bovell’s coach, Anil. “You continue to serve as a beacon and inspiration to all our swimmers in Trinidad and Tobago and the region and we hail you as our aquatic ambassador extraordinaire,” Roberts, an attorney-at-law said. “We do look forward to your continued pursuit of excellence in consonance with the motto of our club, namely Piranhas in Pursuit of Excellence as you continue to add medals of a similar texture to your collection to the glory of swimming in Trinidad and Tobago,” Roberts stated. In Santo Domingo yesterday Bovell said he was humbled by his latest success, indicating his record-breaking performance has taken a lot of pressure off him going into the 200 IM in which he aims to reclaim his Commonwealth record on Saturday. He said for Monday’s race he patterned his performanace on Russian star Alexander Popov who starts off very quickly, then cruises before accelerating again to leave all comers in his wake. Bovell said he is gearing up for the Olympic Games in Athens next year. “I am going back to the University of Auburn and try and get a few top class competitions in before Athens,” said Bovell.