Bovell out C’wealth Games

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s history-making swimmer George Bovell will miss next year’s Commonwealth Games because of scheduling difficulties. On the comeback trail, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off and will be unable to participate in the March 15 to 26 Commonwealth Games because of US Collegiate commitments for Baylor University at the NCAA Championship, also set for March. “It would not make sense to try to appear at both events,” his Trinidad and Tobago National Coach Anil Roberts told CMC Sport. “The events are too close and also, he has just returned to full-level training and to take on successive competitions, five events at NCAAs plus the Commonwealth Games would not be realistic,” Roberts said.

As a “perfectionist” and Commonwealth record holder, Roberts said Bovell wants to perform at his best at all times and does not have the solid background of pre-season preparation to undertake a combination of the Commonwealth Games and NCAA meet in the same month. Bovell, 22, recently returned from a five-month lay-off from a knee injury and is only now returning to his “pre-Olympic training levels.” In Athens last year, Bovell became the first competitor from the English-speaking Caribbean to win an Olympic swimming medal when he placed third in the 200 metres individual medley. He clocked a career-best one minute 58.80 seconds for third spot at the Athens Olympics on August 19, 2004, behind American star Michael Phelps, who clocked an Olympic record 1:57.14 for the gold, ahead of another American Ryan Lochte (1:58.78).

Bovell, who also won two gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games, is only the seventh medal winner for Trinidad and Tobago in Olympic history but first ever in swimming and only third outside of track and field. Weightlifters Rodney Wilkes and Lennox Kilgour both won Olympic medals for TT more than 50 years ago. Featherweight Rodney Wilkes won medals at the 1948 (silver) and 1952 (bronze) Olympic Games and middle-heavyweight Lennox Kilgour was also a bronze medallist in 1952. Bovell missed last year’s World Championship in Canada because of the knee injury and coach Roberts hopes he will be able to compete at the 2006 World (short course) Championship next April. (CMC)