National Swim Team Returns From Carifta Aquatics Championships, Shaw Reports ‘Greatest Feeling’

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Team Antigua and Barbuda (from left) Assistant Coach Wayne Mitchell, Selah Wiltshire, Ellie Shaw, Ireuben Edwards, Madison MacMillan, Jamie Tranter, Angelique Gittens and Head Coach Nelson Molina after arriving at the VC Bird International Airport on Tuesday night (Observer media photo)
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By Neto Baptiste

Gold medallist at the Carifta Aquatics Championships and 13-14 girls’ 100 meters breaststroke record-holder, Ellie Shaw, is pleased with her performance at the 2023 games held in Curacao.

Speaking with Observer on arrival at the VC Bird International Airport on Tuesday night, Shaw who clocked 1:14.28 (one minute and 14.28 seconds) to win gold on Sunday’s final day, said she expected to do well at the championships.

“I definitely thought that that type of performance was exactly what I was going to do at Carifta. I have been preparing for many weeks, but I think I can improve more on my turns and my mental thinking before races because I usually get nervous which can affect my performance. One positive is that after touching the wall and you see your results, and you can see that you did a personal best, and see that you medaled, I just think that that is the greatest feeling,” she said.

Shaw won two gold and one silver at the event, winning gold in the 200 and 100 breaststroke and silver in the 50 meters breaststroke.

Coach Nelson Molina, expressed delight in the performance of all the swimmers but posited a further argument for better facilities.

“All of them did so well, and we are really proud of all they achieved in this event. We also have some individual achievements and one of them in the record holder in the under-17 in Ellie Shaw. I believe the most important thing that we need is the facility,” the coach said.

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Team Antigua and Barbuda (from left) Assistant Coach Wayne Mitchell, Selah Wiltshire, Ellie Shaw, Ireuben Edwards, Madison MacMillan, Jamie Tranter, Angelique Gittens and Head Coach Nelson Molina after arriving at the VC Bird International Airport on Tuesday night (Observer media photo)

“We are struggling to swim in the facility that we have at this point, and also the schedule that we have, so basically some swimmers, the youngest ones, they have to come early in the mornings and then they have to go to school so we don’t have what we use to have in the past, but we keep working with the morning and afternoon sessions and on holidays we have more sessions,” Molina added. 

Meanwhile President of the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF), Edith Clashing, commended the swimmers and coaches for what she said was a job well done.

“Actually I am pleased, not just with those who have won, but with the general performance of the team where everybody would have left with at least one or two personal bests, and several of them would have gotten to finals, so it has been a wonderful week for us,” she said.

“We were listening to commentary on the live feed on Flow Sports and certainly Ellie Shaw has raised attention, and we’re just hearing this from the commentators that they need to keep their eyes open for her and just track her progress,” she added. 

Antigua and Barbuda finished 12th overall from amongst 20 competing countries with a total of 108 points, just one point behind 11th placed Grenada. Bahamas, once again, won the championship with 1113 points over the Cayman Islands who finished second with 752 points. Trinidad & Tobago finished third with 534 points.

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