Jamaica swim team exceeds expectations with 22 medals
WHEN Jamaica’s nine-member team left the island for the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championships in Puerto Rico, it was anybody’s guess what kind of performances they would turn in.
For one, the team had very little preparation, as the Aquatic Sport of Jamaica (ASAJ) Time Trials was the only piece of competitive action they tasted before jetting off to the US territory and so swimmers placed no real expectations on themselves in regard to podium finishes.
Instead, much of the focus was placed on clocking personal best times and the small but talented team not only achieved over 54 of those, but also exceeded expectations by copping an impressive 22 medals six gold, eight silver and eight bronze in a fairy-tale run at the five-day championship.
The team comprised females Leanna Wainwright, Christanya Shirley, Giani Francis and Zaviya Cameron, while males Nelson Denny, Kito Campbell, Kaheem Lozer, Waldon Mcintosh and Zack-andre Johnson complete the squad.
By their exploits, the Jamaicans took down a few national age group and senior records, as well as Pan Am B cut times to make safe their spots for the Pan Am Junior games in Cali, Columbia later this year.
The accomplishments also saw them placing sixth overall with 242 points, with Puerto Rico (1,697), Venezuela (790) and Dominican Republic (535) securing the top three positions.
Beaming Team Manager Annelise Denny, still processing the bumper medal haul, didn’t seem to mind that the swimmers went in with no real pressure.
“The performances were very commendable, as the swimmers exceeded expectations and everybody performed at an extremely high level at a very fast competition.
“They are all walking away with personal best times in most, if not all of their events and when we consider that the [ASAJ] Time Trials were just a few weeks ago to come here and compete heats and finals everyday and not crack under the pressure, is really commendable,” Denny said.
“So we should hand it to our swimmers, they did an awesome job, but credit also to the coaches who prepared them for competition through COVID and also those who helped us along the way in terms of getting us to Puerto Rico,” she added.
Shirley was the standout swimmer for the girls, winning medals in the 50m butterfly (silver), 50m freestyle (gold), 50m breaststroke (bronze) and the 100m butterfly (bronze). She produced personal best times in all but the 100m butterfly.
Wainwright, who equalled the national age group record of 31.02 set by Angara Sinclair in 2014 in the 13-14 50m backstroke, along with Francis and Cameron also came away with at least one medal.
Coach Kafia Rapley, who was on her first national assignment, said she couldn’t have asked for a more positive experience to start.
She believes the performances by the swimmers coming off of a 14-month hiatus from competition speaks volume of the athletes’ dedication and the work done by their respective.
“The experience was great and I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of athletes to tour with for the first time as national coach, they are all hard working and committed and personality wise they are great.
“Initially, motivating them came with its challenges because they are coming from different clubs with different anticipation and nerves, so that was a bit of a challenge but after the first day of prelims and finals their spirits lifted and they delivered from there,” Rapley said shortly after arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport on Monday.
“I did expect the swimmers that I coach [Mcintosh and Cameron] to do well but everyone getting a medal was definitely a plus, everyone came home feeling accomplished and that was the best thing we could ever ask for. All the coaches should be proud, the Kaizen swimmers and Y-speedos swimmers did very well, we did exceed expectations, as the national records that were broken definitely blew everyone out of the water,” she added.
On the boys’ side of action, Nelson Denny stood out, copping three of the team’s gold medals in the 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke and the 100m freestyle.
The 14-year-old’s time of 53.61 seconds in the 100m freestyle was a new national age group record, lowering the previous mark of 53.69 set by Brad Hamilton in 2004.
Debutant Zack-andre Johnson and Waldon Mcintosh also performed creditably with Johnson medalling in the 50m backstroke (silver) and the 200m butterfly (bronze).
The 15-17 duo of Lozer and Campbell rose to the occasion from the start, winning gold and bronze medals in the 50m butterfly final.
Campbell, who had taken a short break from swimming to focus on preparation for the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships, where he soared to victory in the pole vault, hardly seemed as if he missed a beat.
The Calabar stalwart took down the Jamaican national age group and senior national record in the 100m breaststroke preliminaries, clocking a brisk 1:06.78 and later lowered that time to 1:06.68 in the finals. The previous record was 1:07.30 held by Brad Hamilton.
That swim by Campbell was also below the Pan Am Junior B standard of 1:06.93.
If that was not enough, Campbell returned in the 50m breaststroke on Sunday’s final day of action and clocked a new CCCAN, national age group and senior record of 29.06 seconds in the heats.
And like it was in the 100m breaststroke, the 17-year-old executed a perfect start in the final, as instructed by Kaizen Swim Club Coach Rory Alvaranga and again rewrote the record books with his 28.55 clocking, becoming the first Jamaica male swimmer to break the 29-second barrier in the 50m breaststroke.
“The 50m breaststroke final was really hard because I think that was the most nervous I felt before a race this entire meet because most people got a gold medal and I felt like I was the only one going into the final day without a gold medal. I went in the prelims and I felt like I might be a little bit far for the 100m butterfly because I was struggling, so I realise that the 50m breaststroke may have been my best chance for the evening.
“Even though I broke the record in the prelims, the Haitian guy always swims better in the final so I thought it was going to be tight. But once I hit the water it was just fun and I touched the wall to win in 28 seconds, which I wouldn’t have guessed I could have swum before this meet. I always had 29.7 in mind,” Campbell said.