The first day of the XXXVIII CARIFTA Aquatic Championships produced a remarkable debut, three medals, and personal-best marks across the board for Team Saint Lucia. Sapphire Parks, on her first outing at this level, produced a silver and a bronze, and Antoine Destang won silver.
The meet is being held at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago.
Parks has been turning in Carifta-level times long before she was actually eligible for the regional junior swim festival. Entered in the 11-12 age group, she swam 1:09.26, the fastest time in the 100m butterfly preliminaries. She lowered that time further in the final, but her 1:08.94 was good enough for silver, behind Barbados’ Kaija Eastmond. Parks also had a 2:59.09 performance for bronze in the 200m breaststroke.
Destang, who is competing in relatively few events, got his medal in the 100m butterfly, a silver. In the 15-17 boys, he clocked 54.78 in the 100m butterfly, second to Haiti’s Christian Jerome. Tristan Dorville of Saint Lucia was fourth in that race, touching in 55.43 seconds.
Additionally, Bolles School students Destang and Dorville were fifth in the 15-17 400m freestyle relay. Their time of 3:35.35 was behind the winners and hosts Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Aruba.
Fayth Jeffrey took part in the 15-17 girls’ 200m breaststroke, Jayden Xu, Noah Dorville, and Aaaron Charles in the 13-14 boys’ 50 backstroke. Dorville and Charles also participated in the 100m butterfly in their age group. Fayth Lubrun was in the 15-17 girls’ 50m backstroke and 100m butterfly. Ethan Hazell and Karic Charles did the 15-17 boys’ 50m backstroke.
Congrats to all our athletes. May this Island continue to produce great talented people that will make a difference in society.