Anthony dominates Day 2 of Nat'l Open Short Course Championship

DAVID SCARLETT

TEN-year-old swimmer, Zahara Anthony, took the pool by storm on the evening of November 15 to be top of the podium thrice on the second day of the Aquatic Sports Association of TT (ASATT) National Open Short Course Championship at the National Aquatic Centre, Couva.

Anthony, representing Marlins Swimming Club, opened the night with a blistering swim in the girls' ten-and-under 200 Short Course (SC) metre freestyle. The speedy swimmer finished first in a time of 2:27.70, lengths ahead of second-placed Katelon Leera of RWB Aquatic Academy, who touched the wall in 2:41.40.

Her second event delivered another victory. Anthony also won the girls' ten-and-under 50m SC backstroke in a time of 36.19, yet again storming to the finish ahead of Leera by 1.73 seconds (37.92).

Zahara was not yet finished. She raced to her third win of the night in the girls' ten-and-under 100 SC m breaststroke, clocking 1:27.89; once more followed by Leera, who registered a time of 1:28.56.

The impressive swimmer closed the night off in style by guiding her Marlins team to gold in the mixed ten-and-under 400 SC m freestyle relay. Marlins won the race in 4:55.12. Katelon Leera also earned her fourth silver medal as RWB Aquatic Academy finished second in 5:07.08 and Bluefins Aquatic Swim Club were third with a time of 5:12.40.

Zahara’s medal count for the Championship, as of Saturday morning, is nine gold medals and one silver medal.

Marlins Swimming Club’s Zachary Anthony also had an impressive night as he broke the meet record to win the boys 11-and-over 100 SCm butterfly. His victorious time of 51.86 shattered the previous record of 54.53 set by Kael Yorke in 2018.

Zachary also won the 200 SC m individual medley (2:09.67), finished third in both the 100 SC m freestyle (52.50) and the 50 SC m backstroke (28.09), and was a part of the winning Marlins mixed 11-and-over 400 SC m freestyle relay team, inclusive of other race winners on the night – Marena Martinez, Isaiah Alexander and Aimee Le Blanc.

Marlins currently leading the Championship standings with a score of 368 points. RWB Aquatic Academy follows them with 130 points and Point Fortin Aqua Darts sit in third with 106 points.