The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ARIANNA Vanderpool-Wallace aims to make history today by becoming the first Bahamian swimmer to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games when she races in the women’s 50 metres feestyle final.

The 24-year-old lowered her own national record to 24.42 seconds yesterday in qualifying third fastest for this afternoon’s final at the Tollcross Swimming Centre, Glasgow. Against a strong field that is stacked with three Australians, two Englishwomen, a Canadian and competitor from the host nation, Scotland, Vanderpool-Wallace knows that she has her work cut out if she intends finally to bring tangible recognition for the Bahamas, a little fish in swimming’s big pond.

“I think these are probably the fastest swimmers ever assembled in the Commonwealth Games,” Vanderpool-Wallace said. “I’m pretty elated that I will get to swim against these women, but I would like nothing better than to be able to get a medal.”

Vanderpool-Wallace will be happy to know that her parents, former Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, and her mother, Tietchka, a former talented swimmer herself, will be back in the stands today cheering for her as they did the night before in the semi-finals.

“I saw them right before I went in to get dressed for the semi-final, so knowing that they are going to be in the stands cheering me on means a lot to you,” said Vanderpool-Wallace, who spent last night going over the game plan for the final with her coach, Lionel Maureau. The race is at 2.13pm today.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London was considered the breakout event for Vanderpool-Wallace, an Auburn University graduate, when she became the first Bahamian to make it to an Olympic swimming final. Then she set a national standard of 24.64 seconds, a mark she bettered yesterday in finishing second in her semi-final behind Cate Campbell, of Australia, who set a new Games record time of 24.17 seconds.

In the second semi-final, England’s Francesca Halsall shaved the record further to 24.14 seconds.

Vanderpool-Wallace hopes to lay the ghost of an eighth place finish in the Olympic final that haunted her by finally giving the Bahamas its first medal at either of the quadrennial global Games.

“Best times so I’m really excited about that,” said the modest and humble Vanderpool-Wallace. “I still feel I have a lot of room for improvement, so I will be working on that and see how it goes in the final.”

The semi-final was exhilarating as Vanderpool-Wallace faced another challenge, that of lining up with her fellow Bahamian, Ariel Weech, for the second time in the day. They had been drawn in the same heat as well.

“It’s always awesome to have her there. It’s the first time that I’ve swum in an international event with another competitor from the Bahamas,” Vanderpool-Wallace pointed out. “So to have her there with me both times is really awesome.” 

While there was individual national pride at stake Vanderpool-Wallace knew that her concentration had to be on the middle of the semi-final race, where she was drawn in lane five alongisde Campbell in lane four.

The Bahamian swimmer surged to a slight lead and maintained it almost to the end, when Campbell dug deeper to emerge with an impressive victory. “I was really happy with what I did because I could see her next to me,” Vanderpool-Wallace stressed. “I knew I just needed to hold on at the end. Hopefully in the final, I can do a lot better.”

Making two major finals is one thing, but Vanderpool-Wallace said the credentials behind her name would look even better if she can add a medal - of any colour - today.

“A medal here first and then at the Olympics (in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016) is obviously my goal,” she said. “But this is just building my confidence with every international meet that I compete in. I just need to practice winning.”

For more games coverage, see pages 42 and 43.