TEAM BARBADOS will look to capture a maximum of eight medals tonight in championship finals of the 34th CARIFTA Swimming competition at the Barbados Aquatic Centre in Wildey St Michael.
Following last night’s glorious performances by the island’s top junior female swimmer Danielle Titus, Danielle Treasure, Adara Stoddard and Tristan Pragnell to bring the medal count to four, the home team is seeking more aquatic glory.
Titus won her first gold medal of the games and Barbados’ second overall medal, when she swam to a new national record of 1:04.60 seconds in the 15-17 girls’ 100-metre backstroke event, while Treasure took the bronze. (1:07.39)
Stoddard secured her second medal, a silver, in the 400 metre individual medley for 13-14 girls and Pragnell picked up a bronze in the Boys’ 15-17,100 metre backstroke in a time of 1:01.15 seconds.
But this morning it was heart break for Pragnell in the 15-17 , 200 metre butterfly. He finished third in heat one but was later disqualified for touching the wall with one hand.
However tonight, the locals will be very optimistic considering the strength of the 13-14 girls age group.
After impressive displays in the 200m butterfly heats this morning, Aza Dunwoody and Keilani Talma are expected to produce podium finishes.Talma will enter the pool with the fastest qualifying time of 2:33.62 seconds, winning heat two way ahead of Taylor White representing Bermuda.
She is joined by Dunwoody who touched the wall second in heat one with a time of 2:39.52 seconds.
In the boys equivalent, Jake Chee-A-Tow goes into the final with the quickest time of 2:19.79. Chee-A-Tow easily won heat two and it was the same result for Barbados in heat one when Christopher Pollard narrowly edged out Nigel Forbes of Bahamus.
The local team will also look towards Nkosi Dunwoody in the Boys 15-17, 50 metre breaststroke and the 200 metre individual medley.Roan Baker defeated Jack Harvey of Bermuda and Dunwood in heat one earlier today to enter tonight’s final with the fourth time of 2:17.83 seconds.
