Valentine breaks competitors hearts at Goodwill Swim meet

TT swimmer Xaiden Valentine was invincible, splashing away with four gold medals including four meet records in the boys’ 11-12 category on day two of the Goodwill Swimming Championship held at the Aquatic Centre, Wildey, Barbados. The TT contingent claimed six gold medals on day two on August 16.

Valentine won the boys’ 11-12 200-metre individual medley in a meet record time of two mins, 27.40 seconds (2:27.40), beating the previous record by almost four seconds. Adrian Dean of Bahamas was a distant second (2:33.44) while Jamaican Aidan Seaton (2:35.03) was third.

Valentine once again lowered the meet record in the 50m freestyle in the same age category. The 12-year-old speedster clocked 25.26 seconds, erasing the previous best of 26.18. Bahamian Dean had to settle for the silver medal once again in 26.59 and Barbadian Elisha Beckles was third in 27.41, edging out TT’s Nikosi Baptiste (27.44) for the bronze medal.

Valentine’s record-breaking streak continued when he slashed the 50m butterfly record clocking 27.72. He edged teammate Baptiste (29.46) who claimed the silver medal and Dean was third (30.33).

Valentine teamed up with Baptiste, Micah Alexander and Khalil Brathwaite to claim the meet record in the boys’ 11-12 200m medley by four seconds. The TT quartet stopped the clock in 2:05.54 to defeat Barbados (2:07.22) and Bahamas (2:10.08). On the previous day, the TT boys won gold in the 400m short course metre medley. Also, on day one, Valentine claimed two gold medals in the 100m freestyle and backstroke, inclusive of meet records, along with a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke.

Chloe-Mari Julien bagged the gold medal in the girls’ 8-and-under 100m individual medley with a meet record time of one minute, 23.30 seconds. Skyrah Chambers of Bahamas (1:25.62) was second and TT’s Zaakiyah Ovid was third (1:30.53). In the 50m butterfly event, Julien and Ovid secured the silver and bronze medal respectively. However, Julien and Ovid joined Jayelle Leacock and Jiah Robertson to win gold in the 200m medley relay in 2:45.96. They defeated Bahamas (2:46.06) in second place and Barbados (2:56.43) who claimed third place.

Katelon Leera swam away with the girls’ 11-12 100m breaststroke gold medal in a brisk time of 1:23.74, beating St Lucian Maya Andrew (1:26.19) and Bahamian Reniyah Rolle (1:27.41).