Record-breaking Jack Kirby and wonder girl Danielle Titus led the splash for gold for Barbados at the Carifta Swimming Championships in Kingston, Jamaica, Saturday night.
Team Barbados off to a solid start with a total medal haul of six, comprised of two golds, two silvers and two bronze.
Titus, competingin her first year of the very competitive 15-17 age group made her presence known when she earned the first gold medal for the team in the 50 metres backstroke.
Her time of 30:22 seconds in the prelims in the morning session was a new national age group and open record.
The fast-rising Kirby secured the second gold medal for Barbados in the boys 15-17 age group. His time of 26:53 secs in the preliminaries erased his previous Barbados age group record of 26:63 from where he went on in the finals to lower the mark again to 26:27 and in so doing, he erased the CARIFTA record of 26:31 held byDavid Macleod of Trinidad.
Silver went to Davonte Carey of the Bahamas (27:04) and bronze to Jeron Thompson of Trinidad (27:99).
First to stand on the podium for Barbados was United States based Luis Sebastian Weekes. Weekes’ posted a time of 2:23:63 to secure the silver medal in the 200 metres breast stroke in the boys 15-17 age group. Gold went to Izaak Bastian of the Bahamas whose time of 2:17:78 was well under the Carifta record of 2:20:18 set in 2017 with bronze going to Tyler Russell also of the Bahamas.
The bulk of Barbados’ medals for the night wouldbe secured in the 50 metres backstroke events. Milli-Jo MacDonald competing in her first ever Carifta event in the11-12 age group earned the second medal for Barbados, an additional silver. Her time of 33:75 out-did Naima Hazell’s 33:78 who was forced to settle for the bronze. Gold went to Elan Daleyof Bermuda (31:52).
Roan Baker would be next to medal in the 13-14 race, his time of 29:40 earning him the bronze ahead of teammate Tristan Pragnell who had to be content with 4th place (29:45). Gold and silver went to Team Bahamas and Guadeloupe respectively.
The final medal for Barbados would be secured by the 13-14 boys’ relay team of Roan Baker, McCallum Clarke, Tristan Pragnell and Niel Skinner. The boys’ finished in bronze medal position in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
Also making the finals on the first evening of swimming were Kyra MacDonald and Nkosi Dunwoody (200 metres breaststroke) and Omari Sealy, Keilani Talma and Aza Dunwoody (100m Butterfly). (PR/MK)
