By Samuel Peters
Happy faces, giddy smiles and upbeat conversations were all seen and heard from the Antigua and Barbuda National Swimming Team after they arrived at the VC Bird International Airport on Monday.
They successfully retained their title at the 31st OECS Swimming Championships in St Lucia even though it was no easy feat.
The 34-member contingent are joint Champions with Grenada although they were hampered by illness on the final day of the Championships, as several swimmers were affected. However, the team was well supported by their family members who travelled with them.
The team was dominant in the freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and relay races and broke a few records as well with Madison Macmillan breaking an OECS record in the 13-14 girls category.
In the male category, Grenada placed first by amassing 651 points; St Vincent and the Grenadines had 634.50 points, while Antigua and Barbuda scored 614.50.
In the female category, Antigua and Barbuda were first scoring 687 points, with Grenada scoring 658.50 points and St Vincent and the Grenadines had 561 points. In total, both Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda scored 1347.50 and are therefore joint title holders.
Bianca Mitchell, Alexandro Bazzoni and Ellie Shaw were triumphant in their age group categories with outstanding performances. Mitchell achieved several personal bests in the 18 and over female group; Bazzoni broke one record and dominated the boys 9-10 category; whereas Shaw competed in the 13-14 girls category and was successful in the breaststroke races.
The manager of the team, Kem Warner said that the team’s performance was mainly due to having a well-rounded team with swimmers from the respective age groups coupled with good coaching and management. He also mentioned that the team’s success was also based on the commitment of the athletes and the support staff. He recalled that the team was down by a few swimmers for some events, but he encouraged the athletes, reminding them of the importance of being resilient.
Bianca Mitchell also spoke with Observer media and stated that she was happy that she achieved several personal bests and it was her best meet so far. Moreover, she added that she needs to trust the process of her training and stop second-guessing herself. She is looking forward to World Aquatics and has begun training towards the event.
The team resoundingly won the OECS Swimming Competition last year for the first time after waiting 30 years. They scored 1,111 points with St Lucia placing second with 1,018 points and Grenada third with 956.5 points.
