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‘Credible performances expected at PanAm’- Coach Mahaica
Swimmers leave on Tuesday for Colombia vie Miami
By Sean Devers
Kaieteur News – Guyanese swim quartet, led by 15-year-old Olympian and National record holder Aleka Persaud will aim to make a big splash in the pool at the inaugural U-23 PanAm Games from November 25 to December 5 in Colombia.
Paul Mahaica, Leon Seaton jr, Aleka Persaud
In addition to Persaud, Leon Seaton and the Mahaica siblings; (Paul junior and Patrice) will travel as part of the Guyanese contingent to Cali.
The swimmers will be accompanied by Coach Paul Mahaica and are scheduled to depart Guyana on Tuesday at 7AM to Miami in transit to Colombia where they are expected to arrive at 9:25 PM.
Coach Mahaica is confident that despite the new age qualification, the young swimmers will produce credible performances.
“I am confident that this team will do well, they have been training very hard over the past months, participating at Meets, local and overseas improving on their PB. These Athletes were selected based on the criteria set by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association,” Coach Mahaica, who hails from the mining Town of Linden, noted.
“The training in Peru was good for the Swimmers, although short, three weeks would have been better for them to perform. Going in to Panam a week or more if it was possible would have placed the team at an advantage seeing we are below sea level and although the altitude they were exposed to in Peru was high, in comparison, Colombia is much higher,” continued Coach Mahaica.
Mahaica said the Coaches involved in this preparation are hopeful that they adjust and adapt well as the Athletes continue to train daily working on techniques and endurance.
In Peru, Persaud failed to match her 50m free style time she swam at the Olympics in Tokyo.
“Aleka didn’t better her time because of a number of factors, one being the altitude and length of time to acclimatize, but she was just hundredths off of her best times so I think she may be able to get back to her original times come Panam.
Leon has been training hard and is focused; the time spent on scholarship did him well. The times that he did in Peru were not that good which is along the same lines as Aleka….but he should bounce back for Panam. An overall better performance is expected at Panam,” concluded Coach Mahaica.
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