Cherelle Thompson and Kael Yorke, two individual gold medal winners from last year’s successful T&T team, have been included in a 34-member swimming team ratified by the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT) for the 31st Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship which is scheduled to take place in Aruba from June 29 – July 3.
Last year, T&T as host claimed a historic first ever overall title at the National Aquatic Centre, in Balmain, Couva, holding off the challenge of Puerto Rico.
The win by T&T marked the first time an English-speaking country had ever topped the overall points table and it came via the all-around effort of the 64-member swimming team as well as the Open Water members, four water polo teams, the two divers and the synchronized swimmers.
Overall, T&T swimmers without the injured USA-based Dylan Carter, who missed the final two nights of competition, tallied 65 medals (21 gold, 26 silver and 18 bronze) for 938.5 swimming points and 1 2,595 combined from the five disciplines and top spot overall
Puerto Rico topped the swimming points table with 987 and also won the most medals in the swimming competition, 74 (32 gold, 19 silver and 23 bronze), but was second overall with 1, 217 points.
The teams were originally set to be confirmed last Tuesday after being proposed by the Swimming Committee. However, the council meeting which was to immediately follow the swimming committee meeting did not have a quorum.
Those council members present stated their agreement to the proposed swimming team, and the teams for the 3 Kilometres and 5 Kilometres Open Water swim, and the secretary was advised to initiate a round-robin to get the requisite numbers to ensure a quorum of votes was had to ratify the team.
With the council meeting being aborted, a new meeting was scheduled and held on Saturday at which the secretary announced the result of the round-robin where the aforementioned teams were ratified.
At this meeting, the council voted that the 10 Kilometres Open Water swim team be ratified as per the results of the Open Water trial held two weeks prior.
The swimming committee recommended that the team not be considered as there was a referee’s report that stated that the trial held for the meet was not 10k.
It was stated that the race buoys shifted due to currents and altered the distance of the course.
After vibrant discussion, it was agreed by the majority at the council that the CCCAN Open Water 10k should be ratified as the athletes were required to achieve a place and not a time, and the selected athletes completed the course and should not be faulted due to external factors.
The CCCAN Open Water Championships will also take place in Aruba, but from July 4 to July 6:
T&T CCCAN swimming team
11-12
Boys: Josiah Changar, Nikoli Blackman, Stachys Harley, Zarek Wilson
Girls: Caitlyn Look Fong, Gabrielle Vickles, Joy Blackett, Neishelah Caseman, Savannah Chee-Wah, Zoe Anthony
13-14
Boys: Kadon Williams, Malik Nelson
Girls: Adrianna Gooding, Brianna Bocage, De Nicha Lewis
15-17
Boys: Aqeel Joseph, Graham Chatoor, Jeron Thompson, Josiah Parag, Kael Yorke, Obadyah Ince
Girls: Danielle Williams, Deshor Edwards, Gabriela Donahue, Ileana Bocage, Jada Chatoor, Jahmia Harley, Racine Ross
18 & Over
Boys: Abraham Mc Leod, Christian Awah, David Mc Leod, Josiah Morales
Girls: Cherelle Thompson
Open water teams
3 Kilometres
12 – 13:
Girls: Zoe Anthony, Savannah Chee Wah, Gabrielle Vickles
Boys: Nikoli Blackman, Zackary Pichery, Lucius Harrison
5 Kilometres:
14 – 17:
Girls: Jada Chatoor, Chisara Santana, Dominique Nurse Allen
Boys: Kyle West, Gabriel Bynoe, Jared De Silva
18 & Over
Girls: Shania David
Boys: Graham Chatoor, Josiah Parag
10 Kilometres
14-17
Girls: Chisara Santana, Sabrina David
Boys: Gabriel Bynoe, William Reyes, Sebastian Marchand
18 & Over
Girls: Shania David
Technical staff: Neal Marcano (manager), Maurice Faria (coach), Chabeth Haynes (assistant coach), Dexter Browne (assistant coach), Derek Changar (chaperone).
