Latest update November 15th, 2024 1:00 AM
VOS end of year swim meet Paramaribo, Suriname Guyanese enjoyed successful trip winning 25 medals
Guyana’s 39-member team made up of four clubs, won 25 Medals at the VOS Invitational Meet held last weekend in Paramaribo, the largest City of the Guyana’s Dutch neighbour Suriname.
Leon Seaton jr flies the Guyana Flag proudly with team in the pool in Suriname.
Guyanese arrived in the 64,000 Square-Mile Nation on Thursday evening and competed in the in a 25-metre Pool as they ended the season with short course races.
The team was without 12-year-old local swimming sensation Aleka Persaud who broke six records in 11-12 events in this year’s Goodwill games; breaking the 28.77 in the 50 metres’ freestyle record with a stunning time of 27.95 which is fastest time over that distance in any age group by a Guyanese girl.
Team Manager Leon Seaton who said he wanted to see bigger participation in future tours informed Persaud, whose father was in China, had to miss to miss the trip.
Swim Academy, Sea Otter, Orca, Silver Sharks and Dolphin combined to form what turned out to be a strong team which returned home on Tuesday.
“Going forward we want more participation to give us the chance to win more Medals,” said Seaton who been involved in swimming since 2010.
All of the swimmers improved on their times in the two-day meet and Coach Sean Baksh said he was satisfied with the overall performance of his young charges.
“This competition can be considered as a motivational meet especially for those who missed out in this year’s Goodwill games in Barbados, the youngest swimmer in the Guyanese continent is nine-year-old Shareefah Lewis,” explained Coach Baksh.
“The Standard was slightly bigger than what have here, we had many first-timers and I am satisfied with our overall showing of the young and inexperienced team.”
Guyana Team Manager Seaton presents Lewis with one of her five Gold Medals.
Lewis was outstanding in Suriname, winning five Gold Medals. She finished first in the 50m Backstroke in 40.57 (PB), the 50m Breaststroke in 47.24 (PB), the 50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle and 100m Individual Medley
Outstanding Guyanese were: Jovana Goodridge 50 Backstroke – Bronze 46.21(PB)
Patrice Mahaica 100 Backstroke – Gold 100 Butterfly Bronze 100 Freestyle Gold 1:09.04(PB) 100 Individual Medley – Bronze ` 1:19.08(PB) 50 Freestyle Silver
Latisha Blair 100 Backstroke – Bronze 1:18.64(PB)
Boys 5. Jaleel Anderson 100 Freestyle – Bronze
Fitzroy Thom 100 Individual Medley – Bronze 1:06.67(PB)
Andrew Jordan 100 Freestyle – Bronze 58.74(PB)
Leon Seaton 100 Individual Medley – Gold 1:05.62(PB) 100 Butterfly – Bronze 1:02.57(PB) 100 Backstroke – Bronze 1:06.30(PB) 100 Freestyle – Bronze 56.18(PB) 50 Freestyle – Silver 24.62(PB)
Andrew Fowler 100 Freestyle – Gold 54.25(PB) 50 Freestyle – Gold 24.50(PB). (Sean Devers)
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