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14th Goodwill Swimming Championships…Suriname recaptures overall title, Wickham, Smith claim gold for Guyana
By Franklin Wilson
Suriname recaptured the overall title from Trinidad and Tobago in grand style, while leading Guyanese 13-14 male and female swimmers Linden Wickham and Noelle Smith captured this country’s only gold medals of the 14th Annual Goodwill Swimming Championships which ended yesterday at the Castellani Pool, Homestretch Avenue.
The Surinamese, who clearly came with a plan and executed it to perfection, ended with 1507 points to Trinidad and Tobago’s 1393.5, Guyana (721) rebounding on the final day to cop the 3rd place ahead of Barbados (696.5) who had overtaken them after the 2nd day.
Suriname also won both the male and female team titles and just like the overall championship, never trailed. Their female swimmers totaled 766 points followed by T&T 723, Barbados 328 a couple more than the hosts. Among the males they tallied 741 points to the Twin Island’s 670.5, Guyana 395 and Barbados 368.5.
And while many fans would have given up the local team capturing any gold medals after the first two days, 13-14 male and female athletes Linden Wickham and Noelle Smith had other ideas.
Their endeavor on the final day was to push harder to ensure that their country’s national anthem was played just like the others, and that they achieved.
First it was Smith who did it for her country in the 50m free. A total of 11 swimmers competed in 3 heats with Smith, one of three in heat 2. She swam with all the energy she had and reaped the desired result, gold in a time of 30.35, a personal best time for her, the previous being 31.48.
The 3rd heat which had the faster swimmers were not up to the challenge in this race, the fastest swimmer going into the race, T&T’s Simone Mundy, had to settle for 3rd behind Suriname’s Ruby-Ann Redjopawiro.
Next up it was Wickham who stuttered the day before in the 100m free after a poor turn on the final 25m and settling for silver. But this time, he made amends and did tell Kaieteur Sport that he would be going all out for the gold in the 50m.
He did not disappoint, being the highest seeded (26.89) competitor in the race and taking on his rivals in heat 3, Wickham also achieved his personal best time of 26.84 to win ahead of the Surinamese pair of Bjorn Lie Kwie and Kevin Panoet.
In record breaking mood again was Surinamese 15-17 female Chandel Domaso setting a new mark in the 100m backstroke of 1:01.51 replacing T&T’s Sonya Jaggernauth’s 1:13.05, achieved back in August 2001.
The T&T pair of Anthony Edwards and Walter Romany (15-17) was again in record breaking mood replacing the old 100m backstroke record of 1:02.25 set By Suriname’s Marcelino Richaards in 2007 with a new record of 1:00.86, Romany achieved 1:01.10.
Suriname’s 13-14 male Kevin Panoet replaced his fellow countryman, Rashid Rellum’s 100m breaststroke record of 1:12.41 set in 1999 with a new mark of 1:12.20.
As was the case on the first two days, the animals and mammals in the Botonical Gardens and the surrounding neighbors as far back as Hadfield and Durban Streets could have heard the loud cheers and excitement created by the swimmers when it came to the 4X50m relays.
Guyana feared a lot better with silver in the boys 8 & under and bronze in the girls & boys 11-12, 13-14 girls, and 15-17 girls and boys.
Suriname won gold in the boys 8 & under, 9-10 boys & girls, 11-12 boys and 13-14 boys & girls, while T&T were victorious in the girls 8 & under, 9-10 and 15-17 boys and girls.
Following the conclusion of the day’s events, a carnival like atmosphere was created as all the swimmers danced and greeted each other and of course, many of the coaches who stood behind the barriers over the 3-days and directed the show were bodily thrown into the pool by their charges, a fitting conclusion to a wonderful and professionally run championship.
Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) President and Secretary Phillip Walcott and Dr. Karen Pilgrim both respectively expressed their gratitude to the Swimming Associations of Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados for attending the championships which made it the success it was.
They also expressed gratitude to their fellow executive members, volunteers as well as their sponsors which included a number of companies and individuals for all contributing to the success of the 14th Annual Goodwill Swimming Championships.
A gala dinner and presentation was held last evening at the Ocean View International Hotel.
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