Coach Wendy Lee says Sabrina Lyn’s eighth-place finish in the Commonwealth Games women’s 100m breaststroke final at Tollcross swimming centre in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sunday was “mind-boggling”.

Lyn swam 1:08.87 in the final after times of 1:09.11 in the first round and 1:08.34 in the semi-finals. She was Jamaica’s first finalist in the swimming events at the Games.

After watching Lyn’s progression throughout the years, Lee said the breakthrough was not unexpected.

“This season for sure, my goal for her was to go 1:08.00, and for her to make the semi-finals, it was such a pleasure for her to come home and train and we’ve been training for the last two and a half months together for this goal,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“And the goal was to go faster than last year. The fact that she surpassed her goal of making the semi-finals and making it to the finals is mind-boggling.”

Lee noted that Lyn made her mark at other levels, but emphasised that her latest feat is “a big deal”.

Lee added: “She’s cleaned up Carifta, she’s consistently won at every level of Carifta, setting Carifta records, and then moving to the Pan-Am region. And then going to college and really… getting the maturity. And then last year she went to junior Pan-Am and she got a silver medal in the 100m breaststroke with a 1:09.00.”

The experienced swimming coach argued that it was not just Lyn who made an impression.

She said that when Kito Campbell and Jessica Calderbank reached the semi-finals they also created history, showing that Jamaica’s swimming is headed in the right direction.

“It’s not only Sabrina… Kito also made the semi-finals, and Jessica also made the semi-finals. I don’t think there’s ever been a time when Jamaica has had three swimmers making the semi-finals and going to the second round, much less making a final. I think this is the first time that we have three swimmers who are reaching the semi-finals, [so] Sabrina is just the icing on the cake,” Lee argued.

Campbell, who had qualified for the semi-finals in the men’s 100m breaststroke on Friday, was seventh in the semi-finals of the men’s 50m breaststroke on Sunday in 28.26 seconds. He had placed fifth in the first round with 28.11.

Collin McKenzie was eighth in his first-round heat in 29.47.

LEE…I think this is the first time that we have three swimmers who are reaching the semi-finals

Calderbank placed seventh in her women’s 100m butterfly semis in 1:01.31 after qualifying with 1:01.34 in the first round. Lyn was sixth in her heat in 1:03.19 and is to contest the women’s 50m breaststroke heats on Monday.

It was not rosy for the Sunshine Girls, who were beaten 48-53 by New Zealand in their second Pool B preliminary round match at Hydro Arena in Glasgow on Sunday to level their record at a win and a loss at the Games.

A day after the Jamaicans beat Trinidad and Tobago, they were held in check by New Zealand who took a measure of revenge after being beaten by the Sunshine Girls four years ago in the semi-finals.

Led by Grace Nweke, who scored 47 goals from 56 attempts, New Zealand led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, and were up 26-25 at half-time. They were ahead 39-35 going into the final period before closing out the win by give goals.

Romelda Aiken scored 34 goals from 38 attempts and Shanice Beckford notched 14 from 15 attempts for the Jamaicans. They will seek to rebound on Monday when they meet Uganda who have won both of their two games so far.

Jamaica’s women’s 3×3 basketball team scored double wins on Sunday, beating Kenya and Fiji in Pool A play.

Tiffany Reynolds scored 13 points for Jamaica to beat Kenya 21-16, while Christeina Bryan scored seven points and Reynolds added six as they defeated Fiji 17-15.

On Monday, the men’s basketballers will return to action against Kenya and Malaysia.

In boxing, Jamaica’s Martez Cope was beaten 0-5 on points by Lethoso’s Pooana Khoahli in their men’s 65Kg round-of-16 encounter.

In bowls, Robert Simpson of Jamaica lost 0-2 to Sam Tolchard of England in men’s singles first round, his fourth defeat. Simpson is to complete his schedule against Pakistan’s Mohammed Ayub Qureshi on Monday.

Jamaica’s Clayton Bell finished 17th in the Gymnastic men’s all-around final with 64.400 points, 15.250 behind Scotland’s gold medal winner Reuben Ward.