Reprinted from the Jamaica Observer
Jamaica’s young swimming sensations hauled in seven medals on day three as they registered another fine display at the 31st staging of the Carifta Swimming Championships in Martinique on Thursday.
The Jamaicans captured three gold, one silver and three bronze medals, surpassing their two gold, three silver, and one bronze medal on day two.
The 25-member team now have six gold, seven silver, and seven bronze in their 20-medal tally and are well on the way to surpassing last year’s haul of 25.
Jamaica were represented in 17 of the 25 finals contested on Thursday evening, with Keenan Dols headlining the finalists after he clocked a fast 2:07.80 minutes in the preliminary round of the boys’ 15-17 200-metre individual medley (IM) setting a new Carifta record in the process.
He erased the previous 12-year-old record mark of 2:08.15 minutes held by Bradley Ally of Barbados.
Dols returned later in superb fashion to lower his own record in the event, clocking a blistering 2:07.27 minutes on his way to victory and mining the first gold medal of the evening. His teammate Barak Goren ended eight in a time of 2:19.29 minutes.
However, Jamaica’s first medal of the evening came courtesy of Bryanna Renuart, who claimed bronze in the girls’ 15-17 equivalent in a time of 2:28.36 minutes.
Emily McDonald produced a scintillating performance in the girls’ 11-12 100m freestyle to brush aside the field and land gold in a new personal best time of 1:02.02 minutes.
Kelsie Campbell also mined gold in the girls’ 15-17 event in a flashy 58.57 seconds, which was another personal best time, while Nicholas Vale continued the medal haul in the boys’ 13-14 200m Butterfly, where he clocked in 2:20.76 minutes for bronze.
The boys’ 13-14 4X200m freestyle relay team of Chester Adams, Cameron Brown, Vale and Jordane Payne, failed to medal in their efforts as they finished fifth in a time of 8:25.80 minutes.
Campbell, the triple gold medallist, swam a strong lead-off leg for the girls’ 15-17 team, before Renuart, Shaun Johnson and Annabella Lyn, supported with equally strong performances to earn silver in a time of 8:53.33 minutes.
The boys’ team comprising Dols, Goren, Mattheau Bonner and Jesse Marsh produced a gallant performance to secure bronze in 8:08.26 minutes.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s second day, Britney Williams copped the first medal of the day when she ended second in the 13-14 girls’ 200-metre freestyle in a personal best time of 2:13.13 minutes.
Kelsie Campbell secured her second gold medal of the championship and Jamaica’s first of the evening in the girls’ 15-17 equivalent in a season’s best 2:06.96 minutes.
Keanan Dols followed up with a smashing performance to land gold in the boys’ 15-17 100m backstroke in a fast 58.56 seconds.
Bryanna Renuart clocked in a time of 5:14.98 minutes for bronze in the girls’ 15-17 400m IM, and later swam an outstanding backstroke leg to propel the girls’ 15-17 4X100m relay team to silver.
The boys’ 13-14 4X100m medley relay team ended fifth, while the boys’ 15-17 ended seventh in their event.
