TT swim stars sink four marks

TRINIDAD and Tobago swimmers Sharntelle McLean, Ayeisha Collymore and Nicholas Bovell, all of Piranha Aquatics, and Marlins’ Melanie Charles wrote their names in the record books on Sunday night. This  as the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT) Invitational Swim Meet continued at the Marlins Swim Pool, Westmoorings. McLean touched the wall in one minute four seconds to win the Girls 15-and-over 100-metre butterfly, defeating St Lucian Natasha George (1:09.48) and Collymore (1:09.95).

McLean’s time was better than the previous standard in the Girls 18-and-over category set by Terry Ann Evelyn (1:05.56) in July 1994. Two records were created in the Girls 15-and-over 200m backstroke final, with Charles claiming gold in 2:32.44, which bettered Patricia Bartlett’s 15-17 mark of 2:32.44 set in August 1982. Collymore got silver in 2:36.44, which was well below the previous 18-and-over standard of 2:40.27 set by Shastine Rajack in the 1999 competition. Rene Pouchet was third in 2:42.33. And in the Boys 15-and-over 200m backstroke, Bovell wiped off the mark set by his assistant club coach Shastri Roberts of 2:15.19 set in January 1992. Bovell took gold in 2:13.45, with Tidal Wave’s Orlando Thom 2:19.66 and Marlins’ Christian Espinet 2:20.15 trailing. The four-day meet was due to conclude on Monday night.

Selected Results
Girls 9-10 200m freestyle: 1.Samantha Rahael (Marlins) 2:33.18; 2.Shanice Mohammed (Flying Fish) 2:36.89; 3.Renee Gordon (Piranhas) 2:43.33.
Boys 9-10 200m freestyle: 1.Christian Homer (St Michael’?s) 2:26.59; 2.Cadell Lyons (Unattached) 2:30.97; 3.Abraham McLeod (Piranhas) 2:32.70.
Boys 11-12 200m freestyle: 1.Joel Sankar (La Joya) 2:20.01; 2.Osei Campbell (Flying Fish) 2:23.13; 3.Anthony Edwards (Tidal Wave) 2:23.90.
Girls 13-14 200m freestyle: 1.Shannon Duval (Marlins) 2:17.22; 2.Chantal Redon (Marlins) 2:20.45; 3.Nasha Watson (Barbados) 2:22.65.
Girls 15-and-over 200m freestyle: 1.Melanie Charles (Marlins) 2:15.80; 2.Ayeisha Collymore (Piranhas) 2:17.43; 3.Melissa Ashby (Grenada) 2:30.59.
Boys 15-and-over 200m freestyle: 1.Nicholas Bovell (Piranhas) 1:58.55; 2.Sebastien Paddington (Piranhas) 2:02.18; 3.Martyn Forde (Barbados) 2:02.88.
Boys 11-12 100m butterfly: 1.Joel Sankar (La Joya) 1:10.98; 2.Osei Campbell 1:13.65; 3.Nathan Percy (Marlins) 1:14.05.
Boys 13-14 100m butterfly: 1.Jules Graham (Marlins) 1:03.72; 2.Andre Schamber (Piranhas) 1:05.40; 3.Justin Best (Barbados) 1:07.15.
Boys 15-and-over 100m butterfly: 1.Nicholas Bovell (Piranhas) 58.51; 2.Anthony Schamber (Piranhas) 59.85; 3.Matthew Houllier (Piranhas) 1:00.04.
Girls 9-10 50m breaststroke: 1.Samantha Rahael (Marlins) 40.50; 2.Melissa Woo Ling (Blue Dolphins) 41.88; 3.Rai Ann McCarthy (La Joya) 42.17.
Boys 9-10 50m breaststroke: 1.Christian Homer (St Michael’?s) 40.15; 2.Abraham McLeod 40.38; 3.Ryan Rigues (St Michael’?s) 40.50.
Boys 11-12 200m backstroke: 1.Joel Sankar (La Joya) 2:35.78; 2.David Edwards (Tidal Wave) 2:43.95; 3.Anthony Edwards (Tidal Wave) 2:44.00.