The Tribune

THE Bahamas’ five-member team at the 16th FINA (World Swimming Federation) Short Course (25m) World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, posted five national records with Lamar Taylor inking his name on three and Luke-Kennedy Thompson got a pair.

The team, coached by Travano McPhee, also featured Rhanishka Gibbs and Victoria Russell as they competed at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

Thompson, 21, closed out competition for Team Bahamas on Saturday when he placed 40th overall in the men’s 200 metre freestyle in a time of 1:51.31 to shatter Jeremy Knowles’ national record of 1:53.34 that he posted in 1998.

Thompson’s other national record came in the 400m free.

Also on Saturday, Russell clocked 32.54 for 39th overall in the women’s 50m breast.

One of Taylor’s three national records came on Friday in the men’s 50m free when he finished 28th overall in 21.45 to erase Allan Murray’s record of 21.97 that he established in 1996.

Also on Friday, Gibbs was 35th overall in the women’s 50m free in 26.16, improving on her personal best time of 26.68. The team of Taylor (in a split of 21.65), Thompson (23.30), Gibbs (25-79) and Russell (26.30) was 16th overall in the mixed 4x50m free relay.

Taylor also broke Chris Vythoulkas’ national record of 26.10 from 2006 in the 50m backstroke on Thursday when he clocked 23.58 for 20th overall.

Thompson got his first national record in the 400m freestyle in 3:56.22 for 28th place overall, removing Jeremy Knowles’ previous time of 3:57.

Tariq Kelly, who served as a member of the medical staff for Team Bahamas at the 2022 CARIFTA Swimming Championship in Wildey, Barbados, attended the meet as well as a massage therapist/athletic trainer for Team USA.

Kelly is a former competitor for The Bahamas in swimming and water polo.