SOJ swimmers bank on medal glory today
ORLANDO, United States — Special Olympics Jamaica’s (SOJ) swim coaches remain optimistic of medal glory on Wednesday at the USA Games despite Kyle Chin’s near miss in the 50-yard breaststroke at the Rosen Aquatic Center on Tuesday.
Chin was fourth in the final of Division M04 with 53.56 seconds, behind runaway winner Harry Fox of Tennessee (45.41), Colby Gott of Maine (52.74), and Samuel Jackson of Illinois (53.25).
On the day, the Jamaica athlete was also third in the 25-yard backstroke heat in 26.40 seconds. He is expected to compete in the final today.
“Kyle’s performance in the 50-yard breaststroke was quite exceptional,” swim Coach Marissa Hayman told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.
“After clocking a time of 55.55 in his heats yesterday [on Monday], he was placed to compete in a faster division for the finals based on his performance. He placed fourth overall in the final, shaving two seconds off his previous time, ending at 53.56.
“We’re super proud of his performance and are looking forward to him doing well in his remaining events – the 25-yard backstroke final and the 50-yard freestyle,” Hayman added.
Kadian Ingleton, who won Jamaica’s first gold at the Games when she captured gold in the 500-yard pool swim, chases more glory on Wednesday when she suits up for the open water swim at the Lucky Lake.
Her coach, Alecia Newman Walsh, admitted that Ingleton found the conditions at the open water venue a bit off-putting.
“She was quite unsettled when she went to the lake because the visibility [in the water] is minimal. She isn’t accustomed to these elements, so we used today [Tuesday] to do sections of the course a few times over.
“The Special Olympics [organising] committee was very supportive and provided her with a unified partner to alleviate some of her fears and to help to pace her. We are using these last moments to help to channel her in the right direction,” Newman Walsh explained.
“But I am still optimistic that her competitive spirit will shine tomorrow, and once she remains focused and confident, her best is all I can ask for,” she told the Observer.
The Jamaican team is among 11 programmes from the Caribbean competing as invitees at the USA Games, a first for the region. The others are Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
— Sanjay Myers
