Josiah Parag breaks 59-year open swim record

JOSIAH Parag broke Gordon Borde’s 59-year Trinity Masters Cross Harbour Classic record with an impressive swim in Carenage, on Sunday.

Borde held the 2.3K record time of 32 minutes and 13 seconds (32:13) since 1963.

Parag finished the course from Five Islands Amusement Park to the Carenage Jetty in 31:06.

The Aquatics Sports Association of TT hosted the event in the past, but the Trinity Masters Club have been running the event in recent years.

Isaac Tuberoso was second overall in 33:01 and William Carr ended third in 33:19.

Karyn Burke was fifth overall, but the first woman to complete the event in 33:40.

Theanna Hay was second in the women’s category in 34:47 and Aimee Le Blanc finished third in 34:51.

Borde, 83, and Mervyn Campbell competed in the 80-84 age group.

A total of 51 swimmers completed the race with Borde ending 37th and Campbell 50th.

Borde was glad to see his record broken after so many decades.

“For the last 60 years I have been competing every year at cross harbours not only in Trinidad, but away,” Borde said.

Borde has competed around the world including the US, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Barbados and Grenada.

The event on Sunday was Borde’s 112th open water swim.

Borde, who competed at the World Masters in 1985 in Toronto, has won multiple open water swim events in TT.

Discussing Parag’s record-breaking swim, Borde said, “The boy did well. The sea was kind of choppy…he might have even done a better time.”

Borde said the Trinity Masters Club tries to encourage open water swimming.