TT swimmers claim six gold on opening day

TRINIDAD AND Tobago claimed six gold medals, in a haul of 11 medals, on the opening day of the 2018 CARIFTA Aquatic Championships, at the National Aquatic Centre, Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.

The TT gold medals were earned by Graham Chatoor, Zoe Anthony, Zarek Wilson, Racine Ross, Kael Yorke and the boys 11-12 4x100-metre freestyle relay team.

Chatoor won the boys 15-17 1,500-metre freestyle in 16 minutes 29.91 seconds, while Anthony took the girls 11-12 200m breaststroke in 2:53.55.

Wilson led a TT one-two in the boys 11-12 50m backstroke, as he touched the wall in 30.59 seconds, followed by Nikoli Blackman in 32.03, while Ross triumphed in the girls 15-17 100m butterfly in one minute 4.83 seconds.

Yorke, one of the most experienced members on the TT team, emerged victorious in the boys 15-17 100m butterfly in 55.57 and, in the boys 11-12 4x100m freestyle relay, TT prevailed in 4:06.84.

Blackman was one of three silver medallists for TT on Saturday. Wilson was second in the boys 11-12 100m butterfly, in 1:05.05, behind Bahamas’ Nigel Forbes (1:04.09), while French Guiana’s Dilan Nunez Green (1:05.10) was third and TT’s Josiah Changar (1:05.40) was fourth.

And, in the girls 11-12 400m freestyle relay, the TT team were second in 4:24.96, with Jamaica taking gold in 4:19.13 and Guadeloupe third in 4:25.88.

TT’s Jeron Thompson was third in the boys 15-17 50m backstroke in 27.99, trailing Barbados’ Jack Kirby, who had a meet record time of 26.27, and Davante Carey of the Bahamas who finished with 27.04.

In the girls 15-17 100m butterfly, Anthony was the bronze medallist in 1:09.47 with TT’s Caitlyn Look Fong fourth in 1:10.72.

Bermuda’s Elan Daley had a CARIFTA record time of 1:05.98 to take gold, with Jillian Crooks of the Cayman Islands next in 1:09.31.

The CARIFTA Aquatic Championships will continue today and end tomorrow .