Nikoli Blackman strikes four gold on day two of Long Course Champs

Jaden Mills won the 200m breaststroke final of the National Open Long Course Championships on Friday night at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva. - Marvin Hamilton
Jaden Mills won the 200m breaststroke final of the National Open Long Course Championships on Friday night at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva. - Marvin Hamilton

Marlins swimmer Nikoli Blackman splashed to four gold medals on night two of the National Open Long Course Championships at the Aquatic Centre in Couva on Friday.

His first golden finish came in the boys’ 11 and over 200m individual medley (IM) in two minutes and 14.30 seconds (2:14.30). Bagging silver was club mate Zachary Anthony (2:14.73) while bronze went to Atlantis Aquatics’ Riquelio Joseph (2:18.21).

Soon after, Marlins swept the 100m freestyle with Blackman, 17, topping the field in a Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) 18+ qualifying time of 51.71s.

Club-mate Anthony, 15, was second in 53.34s and bettered the CCCAN 15+ qualifying time of 53.79s. Marlins Josiah Changar swam to bronze in 54.96s.

Blackman returned to the top of the rostrum by delivering a World Junior Short Course qualifying time of 27.11 in the 50m backstroke. Tidal Wave’s Johann-Matthew Matamoro grabbed silver in 27.27s and Point Fortin Aqua Darts’ Darren Belfon was third in 28.83s.

In the final event on the night, Blackman capped off a dominant display by partnering with club-mates Anthony, Aimee Le Blanc and Zoe Anthony to win gold in the mixed 400m freestyle relay.

The quartet touched the wall in 4:03.02. Claiming silver was RWB Aquatics’ Qillon Leera, Madara Edwards, Zahara Alexander and Shaelen Reece in 4:07.75 while Tidal Wave’s Gabrielle Vickles, Stachys Harley, Joy Blackett and Matamoro clocked 4:09.50 to snag bronze.

Le Blanc also emerged victorious in the girls’ 11 and over 1500m free as Marlins swept the top three once more. The 13-year-old clocked 19:34 flat and set a new meet record for the 13-14 age group. Silver went to Taylor Marchan (20:35.95) and bronze was taken by Zara Persico (20:42.10).

Barracudas’ Adam Scoon cooped the boys’ equivalent in 19:00.36, followed by Marlins’ Isaiah Alexander (19:11.80) and his club-mate Marcus Alexander (19:18.85).

Other Day Two Results

Boys

50m breast – 1. Aiden Nixon 38.76s (Tidal Wave), 2. Micah Alexander 41.06s (EASC), 3. Marcus Nesbitt 42.86s (RWB)

U10 200m free – 1. Micah Alexander 2:43.31 (EASC), 2. Aiden Nixon 2:46.68 (Tidal Wave), 3. Zion George 2:54.81 (Marlins)

Girls

U10

200m free – 1. Zalahar Lewis 2:47.01 (Marlins), 2. Zahara Anthony 2:56.14 (Marlins), 3. Elin Stone 3:03.03 (Marlins)

200m breast – 1. Anpherne Bernard 2:37.26 (RWB), 2. Alejandro Agard 2:41.38 (Blue Dolphins), 3. Riquelio Joseph 2:47.83 (Atlantis)

11 and Over

50 back – 1. Ornella Walker 30.61 (YMCA), 2. Gabrielle Vickles 31.75s (Tidal Wave), 3. Joy Blackett 32.84s (Tidal Wave)

100m fly – 1. Maidan Edwards 1:10.92 (RWB), 2. Sydney Look Fong 1:11.38 (Barracudas), 3. Keiera Audain 1:13.17 (EASC)

100m free – 1. Gabrielle Vickles 1:01.73 (Tidal Wave), 2. Amari Ash 1:02.37 (Unattached), 3. Kiara Goodridge 1:03.48 (Blue Dolphins)

200m IM – 1. Anya Davis 2:44.14 (RWB), 2. Sydney Look Fong 2:44.61 (Barracudas), 3. 2:48.09 (Marlins)

200m breast – 1. Sapphire Wong Chong-Achee 3:06.76 (Unattached), 2. Tyla Ho A Shu 3:10.46 (RWB), 3. Maidan Edwards 3:14.61 (RWB)

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"Nikoli Blackman strikes four gold on day two of Long Course Champs"

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