Swim meet ideal Carifta tune-up

Bermuda’s swimmers are in fine fettle ahead of the Carifta Championships at the end of the month.

The Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association held two meets recently at Saltus as the 18-strong squad prepared for the prestigious youth event in Jamaica on March 30.

National Coach Ben Smith said in a press release: “This was the last preparation meet for our Carifta swimmers and many were close to personal best, which shows their form is strong leading into the final 10 days of preparation.”

He added: “We started with the Best of Best #2 meet which had been postponed from the previous  weekend.

“Most of the swimmers had gone through a week of hard practices and we were looking to see how the swimmers would perform at this point in the season.

“There were several swimmers that were on form hitting multiple personal best times.”

Elan Daley set a new record in the 50m backstroke with a 43.87sec, which takes the best-time mantle from fellow shark Jessica Bruton.

Maddie Moore added the 100 IM to her record haul for the season, swimming 1min 15.66sec, which beat the 1:16.17 that was set by Ashley Yearwood in 2007.

The 15-16 years 4 x 50m free record was taken by a Sharks team that featured two swimmers from the 13-14 age group.

Jesse Washington (13) and Shannon Botelho (14) joined 15-year-old Ferdinand Arnold and 16-year-old Philip Hagen in an excellent swim.

The previous record was 1:56.79 from 2010 but the Sharks team swam an impressive 1:49.01.

Smith added: “The Development meet was very exciting with many of our newer swimmers being cheered along by a full stand of parents. 

“Several were able to hit the standard at this meet to move into the standard level meets and be able to enter the last of the Best of Best series in April.

“There were several swimmers that have been working hard in the pool over the last several weeks and they were able to swim well in the meet. 

“Brian Desmond, Tayla Horan and Carys Nokes all made the B standard so they will move to the big meet next month. 

“Even better than that. there are four juniors knocking on the door — May Telenko, Gabbi Pitman, Sam Williamson and Tayla Horan — the next six  weeks will hopefully allow us the time to get them ready to also make those B times.”