The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Joanna Evans is still trying to come to grips with the fact that she won a bronze medal at the 2nd Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. She feels it probably won’t sink in until she returns home for the celebrations being planned by her family.

“It was a great performance,” said Evans, who made history by winning the first ever global medal when she picked up the bronze in the women’s 800 metre freestyle in a Bahamian national record-breaking performance. “It went as close to plan as it could be.”

Her time of eight minutes and 39:75 broke her national record of 8.41.39 that she set last month in Glasgow, Scotland, where she fell short of getting into the final. In the process, she also produced a national record in a split of 4.17.11 in the first 400m, an event she will compete in on Friday.

The 17-year-old Grand Bahamian native remembered the feeling the team went through as Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace claimed the first swimming medal at the games for the Bahamas with her silver in the women’s 50m butterfly.

“The Commonwealth Games really helped because it gave me an idea of what I could do and how to plan the race,” Evans said. “I just have to rest now and prepare for my 400 to try and do my best in that.”

Evans, who is representing the Bahamas with two other swimmers, one sailor, two tennis players and eight track and field athletes, said she’s looking forward to completing her appearance here when she competes in the 400m free on Friday.

“I can’t say I have formally celebrated as yet,” she said. “I spoke to my family and friends. I am sure they will have something planned for when I get home.”

Whatever else happens at the games for the Bahamas, coach Andy Loveitt said the Bahamas Swimming Federation can take solace in the fact that the swimmers have performed exceptionally well this year.

“It was an amazing day and also strange in that we had to go back to the pool in the evening to watch the fastest heat of the timed final,” said Loveitt as they waited to find out exactly where Evans would finish.

“To have Jo next to me and watching each split time was a strange experience. I would much rather have her in the water, she was jumping all over the place. Going into the evening I did not think she would win a medal, half way through the race we both began to think it could be 4th and then with 200m to go we could see Jo’s split times looking better and better. At 750, we knew the 4th swimmer could not catch Jo and the celebrations began.”

Loveitt, who was also a coach on the Commonwealth Games team when Vanderpool-Wallace made her splash, said the day started with Evans seeded 15th and swimming in lane one.

“I was very close to her and gave her arm signals with regard to her pace,” he said.

“In Glasgow, she was being paced by other senior swimmers and we knew here to get a good result, Jo had to set the pace and push the first 400 like she had never done before.

“The plan was to be 4.16 or 4.17 at 400 and then really work hard through the fifth and sixth 100 to try to break 8.40 at the end. At the same time we wanted to break away from other swimmers but we knew the European junior champion was in lane two.”

According to Loveitt, Evans swam her race to perfection.

“She initially had a slight lead but by half way was swimming with the Italian girl. Jo’s 400m split was 4.17.11, a Bahamas senior national record,” Loveitt said.

“She maintained good pace for the second half of the race but could not quite stay with the Italian girl who swam even pace the whole way.

“Jo finished strongly to finish with a time of 8.39.75 breaking her own senior national record of 8.41.39, which she set in Glasgow. She ended up with two senior national records in one race.”

Loveitt, Evans’ personal coach in Grand Bahama, said he couldn’t be more proud of her achievement.

“Jo had achieved everything we had planned for but she was slightly down because she had not won the heat,” he said. “She always wants more. We then had to wait for the evening not knowing what was to happen.”

Her performance, Loveitt said, has really fired the other swimmers up and after a rest day, Dustin Tynes is hoping to continue the trend when he swims today in the 50 breaststroke.

“He is looking to break his own national record and see if he can make semi-final and then push hard to try to make the final. It is a very close race and anything could happen,” Loveitt said.

The Bahamian swim team is now down to the final day of competition. “Laura Morley swims the 200 breast and we are planning to see if she can get close to breaking the Bahamas record of 2.37.97 and make the top 20,” Loveitt said.

“Joanna returns to the pool on the last day for the 400 free. She is seeded 10th. She is now resting after all her exertions and hoping to do well.”