11-year-old secures medal, national record at swim championship

Eleven-year-old national swimmer Aliyah Greaves won a silver medal at the XXXVI Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship on Tuesday, extending Barbados’ medal count to three.

It was a good effort from Greaves in the Girls 11-12 50m backstroke (31.93 seconds), falling just short of the number one spot held by Fernanda Garcia of Mexico (31.65 seconds).

Greaves also set a national age group record and her performance was a pleasing way to begin CCCAN as she proudly held the Barbados flag on the podium.

Once again, Heidi Stoute made an impression, on this occasion with a second gold in the Girls 13-14 200m freestyle. Prior to that, she won gold in the 800m freestyle.

On day two of the championship, most of the Barbadian swimmers featured in the backstroke event. Danielle Titus, in the Women’s 18 and Over 50m long course, swam 30.27 seconds for fifth position while the Mexicans, Rocio del Celia Ortiz (28.39 seconds) and Camila Rodríóguez (29.29 seconds) were unstoppable forces, taking first and second positions.

The Boys 11-12 50m backstroke win went to Mauricio Villamizar of Panama ahead of Daniel Bautista (30.04 seconds) and Diego Lopez Morales (30.31 seconds), both from Mexico.

Mihael Sobers of Barbados finished fourth (31.28 seconds). He was seventh in the Boys 11-12 200m freestyle A final (2:12.00) as well.

Missing out on a medal was Kaitlin Balgobin, clocking 32.24 seconds in the Girls 13-14 50m backstroke to finish fifth.

The Jamaicans dominated that race. Skyelar Richards (30.98 seconds) outpaced the field to secure victory, while teammate Jessica Denniston (31.47 seconds) was third, behind Carolina Ojeda of Mexico (31.29 seconds).

Barbadian Victor Ashby was left feeling outdone when he came fifth overall in the Boys 13-14 50m backstroke. His time was 28.94 seconds and the overall winner, Danilo Jimenez Oliva, set the pace for victory in 27.53 seconds.

The Girls 11-12 200m breaststroke featured national representative Saniya Minnis who finished in a time of 3:01.52 which landed her in fourth place. Joshua Ross made it to theA finals of the Boys 15 to 17 200m breaststroke and ended in fourth (2:26.91).

While some of the athletes missed out on winning medals in their respective events, Adara Stoddard was among those that took solace in setting a national age group record of 2:44.20 in the Women’s 18 and Over 200m breaststroke. (AS)