Alvaranga steals show on record-breaking night at Carifta Swimming Champs
On a night when Jamaica tallied 18 medals in the pool, which included six gold, nine silver and three bronze, it was Zaneta Alvaranga who stole the show with individual and relay gold medals. The individual gold was secured in record fashion at the 34th staging of the Carifta Swimming Championships in Barbados.
The 13-year-old was in sizzling form as she swam to a championship record of 27.84s in the 50m Butterfly for 13-14 girls. It was the fastest time swam in the event in any age group on the night and the second-fastest in the history of the Carifta Championships. Her teammate Sabrina Lyn took the silver in a time of 29.13.
The two later combined with Morgan Cogle and Safiya Officer to take gold in the 4 x 100m Medley Relay in 4:38.85.
Leanna Wainwright won gold in the 100m backstroke for 11-12 girls in 1:11.65, as Jamaica continued to take top spot on the podium.
Brady Macpherson Lewison was the top male performer for Jamaica on the night. He joined his teammates in the winners’ enclosure for Jamaica’s as he secured the third individual gold medal in the 11-12 boys Individual Medley (IM) in 5:30.63. He also took silver in the 100m backstroke in 1:09.90, and bronze in the 50m Butterfly in 29.77.
The two other gold medals came in the 4 x 100m medley relays.
The quartet of Leanna Wainwright, Kokolo Foster, Giani Francis and Christanya Shirley established a new championship record of 4:49.77 in the girls’ 11-12 final, while in the 15-17 girls, Simone Vale, Naomi Eaton, Emily MacDonald and Britney Williams also grabbed gold in 4:01.60 in the final.
In the 200m freestyle for 15-17 Girls Emily MacDonald took silver in 2:08.72 while Britney Williams won bronze in 2:08.79. Nicholas Vale took silver in a time of 1:58.09 in the boys’ section.
In the 50m Butterfly for 11-12 girls, Giani Francis took silver in a time of 30.86, while in the 13-14 boys, Nathaniel Thomas took silver in 26.73.
Emily MacDonald’s third medal on the night came in the 50m butterfly when she secured silver in 28.96s. Nathaniel Thomas also took silver in the 13-14 boys’ in 1:02.88.
Thomas then teamed up with Jaedon Lynch, Jaleel Saams and Daniel Mair to secure bronze in 4:20.26 in the boys’ 4 x 100m Medley Relay.
The last medal won on the night was by Nicholas Vale, Cameron Brown, Jordane Payne and Kyle Sinclair, who secured silver in the 15-17 Boys 4 x 100m Medley Relay in 4.02.69.
The six gold medals won on day two doubled the take on the first night, while the nine silver more than doubled the four as Jamaica continued their impressive showing at the Games.
