Over 20 years later, Cropper's freestyle records still stand

SIOBHAN Cropper’s long-standing age group swim records continue to reign supreme among TT’s new generation of swimmers.

Cropper’s Girls 13-14 50m freestyle and 15-17 50m and 100m freestyle records, set over two decades ago, remain intact after the Amateur Swimming Association of TT (ASATT) hosted its long course trials on Monday.

The trials were held for those interested in breaking their respective age group records. However, after nine events, no new long course records were achieved.

In the Girls 13-14 50m free, Flying Fish’s Ash Amari attempted to better Cropper’s 27-year record of 26.66 seconds. Amari clocked 28.26s.

Similarly DeNicha Lewis, also of Flying Fish, tried valiantly to match or surpass Cropper’s Girls 15-17 50m (26.19s) and 100m (57.30s) free records but was unable to do so.

In the former event, Lewis touched the wall in 27.87s while she clocked 1:04.00 in the latter.

At the ASATT Short Course trials on Saturday, neither of Cropper’s three records in this division were beaten. Cropper is a two-time TT Olympian (1996, 2000) who specialised in freestyle and butterfly events.

She also won the 100m butterfly at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games, two National Collegiate Athletic Association championship titles and 14 All-American honours while attending Stanford University.

Additionally, Cherelle Thompson (Eagles) was again unable to outperform her own record in the 50m free. On Monday, Thompson clocked 26.43s and fell just short of her impressive 25.39s display in January of this year.

At the Short Course trials, on Friday, Thompson also attempted to improve her Girls 50m freestyle age group record of 24.89s, set in November 2019. Although the Olympic debutant executed a valiant effort, she was only able to stop the watch on 26.20s.

Meanwhile, Zarek Wilson (Unattached) also had a tough time in the Boys 13-14 50m and 200m freestyle events. Battling against Joshua Romany’s 23.77s clocking in 2010, Wilson could only splash to a 24.95s performance.

He then completed the 200m distance in 2:00.37 as compared to Dylan Carter’s 1:55.55 record set in 2011.

Unattached swimmer Josiah Parag and Kegan Ford (Flying Fish) also attempted to outweigh records set by George Bovell III and Nicholas Bovell but were unable to do so.

Monday’s long course trials concludes a significantly shortened 2020 ASATT calendar which was derailed owing to the covid19 pandemic.