Swimmers take seven medals

Zabrina Holder winning Barbados’ first gold at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in the girls’ 15 to 17 group 100m butterfly. (FP)

By Sherrylyn A. Toppin | Sat, April 14, 2012 - 12:04 AM

Zabrina Holder struck her second gold medal last night as the 2012 CARIFTA Swimming Championships continued in The Bahamas.

Holder, who is in her first year in the girls’ 15 to 17 age group, won the 50-metre breaststroke in 29.04 seconds. Kendese Nangle, of Jamaica, was second in 29.48 and Kimberley John Williams, of Trinidad and Tobago, was third in 29.52.

Other results were not available up to Press time with the Barbados tally at two gold, two silver and three bronze.

On Thursday night, Holder won the 100-metre butterfly in 1 minute 03.93 seconds. John Williams was second in 1:04.51 and Lara Butler, of Cayman Islands, third in 1:06.01, three places ahead of Amara Gibbs, who was timed in 1:07.18.

Christian Selby won silver in the boys’ 13 to 14 freestyle 1 500 metres in 17 minutes 11.50 seconds behind Guadeloupe’s Matthias Marsau (16:45.74) and ahead of Niko Stines (17:33.41), of the British Virgin Islands.

Matthew Courtis did a time of 17:09.98 to place eighth in the boys’ 15 to 17 age group which was won by Guadeloupe’s Joris Bouchaut in 15:45.04.

The other silver medal went to Sariyah Sherry, who also won bronze in the 13 to 13 girls’ 800 metres free.

In the 50 metres backstroke, Sherry was second in 32.88 seconds behind Guadeloupe’s Charlotte’s Backovic (31.24) and Brienne Renfrum (33.04) ,of Suriname. Alexis Clarke did 35.69 in the preliminaries and didn’t advance to the final.

Sherry was also third in the 800 metres free, touching the wall in 9:52.90. The gold medal went to Joanna Evans, of The Bahamas, in 9:11.82 and Syriah David, of Trinidad and Tobago, took silver in 9:52.90.

Gibbs was sixth in the 15 to 17 age group behind winner Julie Anne Malidor, of Martinique, who was timed at 9:08.22.

Kimberley Willoughby was also third in the 200 metres breaststroke in 2:56.24. Gold went to Marianne Amory, of Martinique, and silver to Jamaican Gabrielle Hopkins in 2:51.45 and 2:54.90, respectively.

Kai Proverbs finished seventh in 3:05.43.

The final medal on the opening day came in the girls’ 11 to 12 relay over 400 metres where Tiffany Titus, Kendi Bynoe, Reanna James and Hannah Gill were third in 4:23.77 behind Jamaica (4:20.64) and Aruba, who were timed in 4:22.76.

Several others were shut out of the medals. Titus was eighth in the 200 metres breaststroke in 3:12.11, but Luis Sebastien Weekes (3:03.34) and Kent Mullin (3:15.98) didn’t reach the final.

Gill (37.07) and James (38.28); Jack Kirby (34.22) and Damon St Prix (34.55); Deandre Small (32.55) and Lee-Ann Rose (33:25) and Courtis, with 29.64, all failed to reach the final of the 50 metres backstroke.

Selby was sixth in the final of the 100 metres fly in 1:02.97 and Alex Sobers did 1:05.45 in the preliminaries which were won by Suriname’s Zuhayr Pigot in 57.96 seconds.

The 11 to 12 boys were fourth in the 400 metres freestyle relay in 4:23.52, while the girls’ 13 to 14 (4:17.65) and 15 to 17 (4:08.41) were fifth.

Several Barbadians were in action last night in the finals of the 200 metres free, 50 metes fly, 100 metres back and 400 metres individual medley.