MARTYN FORDE'S latest record-breaking swim has taken him to Olympic standard.

Forde, representing Barbados at the Santa Clara Invitational from May 15 to 18, cleared his own senior national record of 23.17 seconds, set a little more than a month ago, and the Olympic B qualifying time when he clocked 23.07 seconds in winning his heat of the 50-metre freestyle.

He got the better of national teammate and fellow University of Toronto swimmer Terence Haynes who placed second in the same heat in 23.54.

The duo have been battling over the last couple years for the top Barbadian sprinter accolades in the sprint freestyle events, which has resulted in the records in the 50 and 100-metre freestyle being lowered frequently.

Forde advanced to the A Finals where he placed eighth in a field including 2005 world champion Roland Schoeman of South Africa, 2007 world champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner of the United States, and South Africans Ryk Neethling and Lyndon Ferns, members of the 2004 gold medal 400 freestyle relay team.

Forde touched in a time of 23.15 seconds. Haynes, a 2004 Olympian, won his consolation finals in a time of 23.35.

Also at the meet was another 2004 Barbadian Olympian, 21-year-old Bradley Ally, who represented Pine Crest Swim School. His best performances came in the 400 individual medley and the 200-metre backstroke.

He placed second in the B Final of the medley event after a close battle with Cory Chitwood of University of Arizona where he lost out on the touch. Chitwood clocked 4:28.41 minutes, and Ally, 4:28.57 – not too far off the Olympic B Qualifying time of 4:27.44.

Ally also competed in the 100-metre breastroke where he placed 35th in 1:07.64 minutes (32.01 split) and the 100-metre butterfly where he placed 68th in 58.28 seconds (27.34 split). (PR)