Bovell second best in world

Trinidad and Tobago’s swimming star George Bovell has earned a world number two ranking in the 200 metres individual medley (IM) following his outstanding performance at last month’s Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. Bovell won gold medals in the 200 IM and 200 metres freestyle in Santo Domingo and his Commonwealth Games record swim of one minute 59.49 seconds in the 200 IM, launched him into the world number two spot in the event behind American world record holder Michael Phelps. The outstanding Australian Ian Thorpe, a multiple Olympic gold medallist in Sydney, is ranked number three. “Definitely we are number two in the world,” Bovell’s coach Anil Roberts told CMC Sport. “We knew all along (that he was number two) but we also wanted the rest of  the world to know,” Roberts added.
 
Roberts said the 20-year-old Bovell had been seen by his rivals at the World Championship in Barcelona in July as a big danger but he was only able to finish fifth because of a tactical error he made in the race. “All the swimmers knew he was second best (to Phelps), however being young and inexperienced, we tried to go out too fast and we paid for it in the third lap.” Roberts said Bovell corrected his mistake at the Pan Am Games 2-1/2 weeks later to earn the ranking “he deserves”. Roberts believes Bovell is closer than anyone else to challenging the dominance of Phelps, who holds an astonishing world record of 1:55.92. “He (Bovell) is the only swimmer in the world, who can possibly challenge Phelps, who is nearly unstoppable,” Roberts said. The six-foot-four-inch Bovell, who is at Auburn University in Alabama, is eyeing an unprecedented Olympic swimming medal for the English-speaking Caribbean in Greece next year. “George has a lot to improve on, his strength and power, and his breaststroke split, but if he continues to work hard, we should be able to guarantee a silver. “I don’t want people to think we’re going for silver, we want and would go for gold, but (our position) is based on the respect for Phelps,” Roberts said.