The Tribune

THE Bahamas Swimming Federation sent a 34-member team to St Lucia to compete in the Goodwill Games for the second time this year – August 19-21 - and the team ended up 5th overall.

Swimmers aged seven to 17 competed in events throughout the three-session meet. “This was the 22nd edition of the meet and the second year we were invited as a guest country to compete. This is a developmental meet with swimmers from Barbados, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Surinam and Guyana and the host country each year is invited to invite one guest country to participate,” said a press release.

“We placed fifth overall, as we had only two girls in the 13/14 and no girls in the 15-17 age groups so lost possible points through having no relays in both ages and no individual swims in the latter age group. The team got two gold, 12 silver and nine bronze medals for a total of 23, as well as breaking two records. The team is limited by the organisation to four swimmers per age group. ”

GOLD MEDALS were received by: Liya Moncur, 11/12 girls in the 50 backstroke, 35.61 SCM Marvin Johnson, 9/10 boys, 100 Freestyle, in a Meet Record time of 1:02.41 SCM (He also holds the record in the 8 & under boys 100 free from last year.)

SILVER MEDALS were received by: Passion Daniel, 8 and under girls, 50 breast, 49:73 SCM

Passion Daniel, 8 and under girls, 100 Individual Medley, 1:35.61 SCM Taliyah Bowe, 8 and under girls, 50 Butterfly, 41.51 SCM

Marvin Johnson, 9/10 boys, 50 Breast, 38.75 SCM Marvin Johnson, 9/10 boys, 50 Butterfly, 32.01 SCM

Marvin Johnson, 9/10 boys, 50 Freestyle, 28.43 SCM ( he and the first place swimmer both broke the record)

Mark Darling, 13/14 boys, 50 Backstroke, 30.33 SCMMark Darling, 13/14 boys, 50 Butterfly, 29.03 SCM

Malik Hepburn, 15-17 boys, 50 Backstroke, 29.43 SCM

9/10 Boys, 400 Medley Relay- 5:30.64 SCM : Noah Albury, Amauri Bonamy, Marvin Johnson, Hodari Prince.

9/10 Boys, 400 Freestyle Relay: 4:59.91 SCM: Noah Albury, Amauri Bonamy, Marvin Johnson, Hodari Prince

9/10 Boys 200 Freestyle Relay: 2:08.73 SCM : Noah Albury, Amauri Bonamy, Marvin Johnson, Hodari Prince

BRONZE MEDALS were received by:

Devin Cuffy-Bethel, 9/10 Girls, 50 Breaststroke, 41.09 SCM

Devin Cuffy-Bethel, 9/10 Girls, 100 Breaststroke, 1:31.27 SCM

Marvin Johnson, 9/10 Boys, 100 Breast, 1:26.94 SCM

Marvin Johnson, 9/10 Boys, 200 Freestyle, 2:18.36 SCM

11/12 Boys, 400 Medley Relay, 5:52.38 SCM: Hugh Bartlett III, Reis Knowles, Ishan Roy, Ocean Smith.

15-17 Boys, 400 Medley Relay, 5:01.86 SCM: Henderson Cartwright, Uriah Cartwright, Malik Hepburn, Ethan Moxey .

11/12 Boys, 400 Free Relay, 5:00.13 SCM: Hugh Bartlett III, Reis Knowles, Ishan Roy, Ocean Smith.

13/14 Boys 400 Free Relay, 4:17.42 SCM: Mark Darling, Ricardo Jolly, Jeong-Il Kajokaya, Derren Williams.

8 & under girls 200 Free Relay, 2:34.59 SCM: Addison Albury, Taliyah Bowe, Passion Daniel, Anjaleah Knowles.

“We received a lot of fourth places where we just missed third by hundredths of a second from a person who won the slow heat and our swimmer was in the fast heat. Several medal winners are at the bottom of their age groups so will hopefully make the team again next year and be able to do even better.

Overall individual points saw Passion Daniel coming in third in 8 and under girls with 27 points and Marvin Johnson second in 9/10 boys with 58 points. Both these swimmers are at the bottom of their age groups so we can expect big things from them again next year.

As a developmental meet, most of the swimmers from participating countries will be in their first or second national team experience and learning how to function in that setting. The meet is run just like Carifta and upper level meets, except that all events were timed finals. Swimmers who qualify for and represented their countries in those upper meets this year are not eligible to compete in the Goodwill Games.

“The competition is stiff, however, as countries with a larger number of swimmers than us, like Trinidad and Tobago, for instance, will have fast swimmers who did not get chosen to go to Carifta only because they had so many to choose from, but they would be then chosen for the Goodwill Games team. Each country is allowed to enter three swimmers in each event, the top two from each country who will score, but all are eligible to receive their medals earned.

Six Bahamian swimmers of the seven who attended the meet last year were chosen to attend again and the experiences gained last year aided them in swimming even better this year.

“Swimmers came from clubs in Abaco, Grand Bahama and New Providence. We hope to have a full team of 40 swimmers next year when the meet is to be held in Guyana. The date change to one week later than originally planned this year eliminated some good swimmers who were going away to school in the USA and their classes began before we would have reached home, as well as one swimmer who was injured and unable to come.

On the final night, the swimmers presented their cultural item where they danced and played along with cowbells and drums to Ronnie Butler’s “Bahama Rock.”

Each country is required to make some presentation of the culture of their country at this time.

After the competition ended, 2/3 of our swimmers and their supporters stayed an extra day in St Lucia to do a tour of the island highlights. “We went by boat south to Soufriere near the volcanic crater and the twin peaks of the Pitons. We travelled by bus to a waterfall, the volcano and then to a preserved coca plantation. Then we had lunch and went by catamaran to sightsee back up the coast again with a stop for the group to go snorkelling before returning to our hotel after a full day’s trip.

The swimmers enjoyed this opportunity to socialise with each other as they came from different islands and several different swim clubs. (We had also done two social events as a team in Nassau for the swimmers from there before leaving for St Lucia to get to know each other better.)

The Goodwill Games organisers from the various member countries were very pleased to have the Bahamas with them these two years so far as they said we will be together for regional competitions from now on and friendship between swimmers and officials in the region is important as we support each other. This makes each one better as we compete and try to win. The swimmers and support persons trade t-shirts, caps and other items with each other at the end of the meet and each country’s federation sends a gift for the other participating counties. The swimmers will be making lifelong friends with their colleagues for the other countries.

“We are grateful for the assistance of our corporate sponsors, whom we will thank publicly shortly. They assisted in monetary ways as well as in goods to assist in our trip. The majority of the travel and uniform funds was provided by each swimmers’ family and friends.

The support staff consisted of Shirley Mireault, Head Coach; Geoffrey Eneas and Mancer Roberts Jr, assistant coaches; Travis Bowe, team manager; Sunita Bonamy, Wendy Bowe and Livingston Duncombe, chaperones.

“These along with our 34 swimmers worked hard to make the Bahamas proud and we feel they were successful. Swimmers who were not chosen this year are already asking if they can be included next year. We look forward to seeing what the country is like when we compete in Guyana next summer.”