Black Sands swimmers win 39 medals in Barbados

Seven swimmers from Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) took part in the annual Barbados Long Course National Swimming Championships from March 2 to 6.

They brought home 39 medals — 14 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze.

Further, the athletes broke six SVG national records and set personal best times.

SVG 6 new national records:

• Brandon George, Boys 13-14 – 2 new SVG National records in 200 metre backstroke (2 minutes 29.23 seconds) and the 100 metre backstroke (1 minute 7.84 seconds).
• Jamie Joachim, Girls 13-14 – 2 new SVG National records in the 200 metre backstroke (2 minutes 40.36 seconds) and the 100 metre backstroke (1 minute 13.62 seconds)
• Kennice Greene, Girls 13-14 – 1 new SVG national record in the 100 metre (1 minute 2.1 seconds)
• Kenale Alleyne, Boys 15-17 – 1 new SVG nationals record in the 200 metre freestyle (2 minutes 8.19 seconds)

 The 39 medals won are:

• Kennice Greene, Girls 13 to 14 – 8 medals:
  • 6 Gold medals in 100 fly; 100 free, 50 back, 200 individual medley (IM), 50m fly and 50m free
  • 2 bronze medals in 200m free and 100m back.

• Jamie Joachim, Girls 13-14 – 11 medals:
  • 2 gold medals in 100m back and 200m back
  • 5 silver medals in 100m fly, 200m free, 50m back, 50m breast and 200m
  • 4 bronze medals in 100m free, 400m free, 50m fly and 100m breast
• Zariel Nelson, Girls 13-14 – 1 medal
  • bronze in the 50m free
• Brandon George, Boys 13-14 – 10 medals
  • 4 gold medals in 50m back, 400m free, 50m breast and 200m back
  • 5 silver medals in 100m free, 200IM, 100m back, 200m back, 100m breast and 50m free
  • 1 bronze medal in the 50m fly
• Bryson George, Boys 15-17 – 3 medals
  • 2 gold medals in the 50m breast and 100m breast
  • 1 silver medal in the 200m breast
• Kenale Alleyne, Boys 15 to 17 – 4 medals
  • 3 silver medals in the 400m free, 200m back and 100m back
  • 1 bronze medals in the 50m back
• Seth Byron, Boys 13-14 – 2 medals
  • silver in the 400m free
  • bronze in the 200m free

Commenting on the results, BSSS Head Coach Kyle Dougan said: “With six weeks to go until the 2022 CARIFTA Games, the results of this meet are very encouraging and have given us a good indication of the hard work that is required in training over the next five weeks, which will hopefully enable us to achieve good results at the Games.”

The SVG Swimming Federation recently released the names of the 2022 CARIFTA Team. They are as follows:

• Eltonique Leonard – Girls 11-12
• Kennice Greene – Girls 13-14
• Kevern Dasilva – Girls 13-14
• Jamie Joachim – Girls 13-14
• Zariel Nelson – Girls 13-14
• Tia Gun-Munro – Girls 15-17
• Brandon George – Boys 13-14
• Matthew Ballah – Boys 13-14
• Bryson George – Boys 15-17
• Eltonte Leonard – Boys 15-17
• Kenale Alleyne – Boys 15-17