It has always been, and continues to be a trend for Jamaica’s young swimmers to excel in the face of great rivalry, especially away from home.

So it came as no surprise that a team of 15 athletes from three local clubs returned to the island yesterday with 26 medals – 12 gold, six silver and eight bronze – from the recently concluded 40th edition of the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT) Marlins Invitational Championships.

The medal tally speaks volumes to the talent within the small unit, as it represents the country’s second-best haul at the four-day meet in the twin-island republic, behind the 59 medals won by a 26-member team in 2017.

Led by the outstanding Zaneta Alvaranga, who accounted for 11 of the team’s medals – seven gold, two silver and two bronze – and set the National Aquatic Centre in Couva alight with one scintillating performance after another, at times schooling her rivals in a number of events.

“The meet was good, I got some best times and that is testament that my training is going good despite setbacks that I have had. So it’s a good end to the year from an overseas standpoint and I am just hoping for the best in 2020,” Alvaranga told the Jamaica Observer regarding her performances.

Over 400 swimmers from six countries made the trek to the event, with Jamaica’s Y-Speedos and Kaizen Swim Club, securing spots in the top 20 on a list of 28 clubs.

Y-Speedos, which fielded 11 swimmers, was highest ranked in eighth position with 219 points, while the two-member Kaizen was 12th with 126 points.

Jamaica’s other representative Sailfish Swim Academy was 28th with six points from their two members at the highly competitive and now staple regional year-end event for the country’s young swimmers.

Rory Alvaranga, coach of Kaizen Swim Club and father of Zaneta, lauded the class and maturity once again shown by the swimmers in a competitive environment.

“They all gave a good account of themselves and should be proud of their performances and return pumped up and motivated heading into our local year-end and season closure Christmas Open. I also think it speaks volumes of where these swimmers are at matching up against their regional counterparts, and I think they will only grow from strength to strength,” he reasoned.

The team secured nine medals on a long and gruelling day of competition, with Karci Gibson getting the show under way, placing second in the girls’ 15 and over 400m freestyle in 5:02.88.

Alvaranga mined silver in the girls’ 13-14 200m individual medley (IM), clocking 2:40.66, while Gibson also placed second in the girls’ 15 and over event in 2:39.43.

Giani Francis of Y-Speedos got the first gold for the Jamaican swimmers in the girls’ 11-12 100m backstroke winning in a time of 1:14.21, with teammate Dirk Harrison securing bronze in the boys’ 11-12 event in 1:10.51.

Another bronze came in girls’ 13-14 100m backstroke courtesy of Alvaranga, who clocked a new personal best 1:12.86.

Saamanta Selvon of Y-Speedos won another bronze for Jamaica in the girls’ 9-10 50m freestyle in a new personal best of 30.89, while Alvaranga topped the podium in the girls’ 13-14 event, and Kyle Sinclair won silver in the boys’ 15 and over dash.

Alvaranga ended the meet on a high with gold in the 100m breaststroke to make safe the high-point trophy in the girls’ 13-14 category with 77 points, while Gibson was second in the 15 and over category with 53 points. Francis (390 points) and Sinclair (33 points) were fifth in the 11-12 and 15 and over category, respectively.

Head coach of Y-Speedos Gillian Millwood expressed delight with being a part of the development of her swimmers, who continue to improve each time they enter the pool.

“I am really excited for them because this crew of athletes from all three clubs really put tenacity and determination on display. So it was a very eye opening, comforting and confidence-building trip and performances for these athletes.

“I am also empowered by the fact that we now know where we need to be and what we need to work on over the next few months within our training cycle. So I am really honoured and proud to have coached these guys and be a part of their journey,” Millwood shared, adding that preparations will continue for the Christmas Open and a busy 2020 season with three of her athletes already qualified for the UANA Swim Cup.

The Christmas Open is scheduled for Thursday to Sunday at the National Aquatic Centre.