Titus paces Bajan swimmers in Budapest

Danielle Titus placed in the top 40 and top 30 of her two events, the best results for the three-member Barbados team which rounded off its participation at the World Aquatics Short Course (25-metre) Swimming Championships in Hungary, Budapest over the weekend.

All three Bajans competed in Heat 2 of their respective events at the weekend.

A graduate student at the University of Houston in the USA, Titus touched the wall in 2:12.86 for the women’s 200m backstroke, 31st overall in that event. Swimming from Lane 8, the 22-year-old Olympian was third in her heat She was 43rd in the women’s 100m backstroke.

Luis Weekes, 24, was 59th in the men’s 50m breaststroke in 28.57, second in his heat, swimming out of Lane 5. Earlier in the week, he was 62nd overall in the 100m breaststroke.

Christien Kelly ended 72nd in the men’s 50m freestyle, clocking 23.56 to win Heat 2 from Lane 2. The 26-year-old also won Heat 2 in the men’s 50m butterfly, ending 58th.

With 30 world records, 13 junior world records and an electrifying atmosphere, the Duna Arena hosted an unforgettable finale to the aquatics season.

Over six days of intense competition in the iconic venue on the east bank of the Danube, athletes rewrote the history books, setting an astonishing number of all-time marks alongside numerous junior and continental performances.

The United States delegation was the dominant force, winning a total of 39 medals (18 gold, 13 silver, and 8 bronze). Their standout performer was 21-year-old Gretchen Walsh from Nashville, Tennessee.

Walsh lowered 11 world records – nine individual and two relay. Among her notable triumphs were gold in the 50m freestyle with a time of 22.83 seconds and her contribution to the women’s 4x100m medley relay that closed the championships with a world record time of 3:40.41.

(TF)