The Tribune

TEAM Bahamas, powered by gold medal performances from Isabella Currurullo, team captain Tristen Hepburn and Christon Joseph, surged ahead of rivals in its quest for an eighth straight CARIFTA Swimming Championship title on Friday.

Competing at the Pierre Samot Community Aquatic Centre in Martinique, Currurullo captured gold in the girls’ 13-14 200m breaststroke in 2:47.37. Hepburn followed with gold in the boys’ 15-17 200m breaststroke in 2:24.66, while Joseph added another in the boys’ 13-15 100m butterfly. Harold Simmons claimed silver in the same event.

The Bahamas’ 36-member swim team also secured silver medals from Logan Comancho and Isabella Munroe, and bronze from Star Seymour and Sean Norville-Smith.

At the end of the first of four days of competition, the Bahamas led the standings with 196 points. Jamaica is close behind in second with 191 points, while Trinidad & Tobago rounds out the top three with 152, just two points ahead of Barbados. The Cayman Islands is in fifth with 145 points, and host Martinique is sixth with 114.

The championships continue from Saturday through Tuesday.

The Bahamas also has a 12-member team set to compete in the open water events at the Anses d’Arlet coastal area on Wednesday morning.