The Caribbean made a big wave in the pool at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games on 31st July.
It all started with Vincentian, Shane Cadogan winning heat 4 of the Men’s 50 metres Freestyle in a time of 24.71 seconds. He finished ahead of Nigeria’s Alassane Seydou Lancina in 24.75 seconds, and Bangladesh’s Ariful Islam in 24.81 seconds.
Trinidad’s Dylan Carter and Cayman’s Brett Fraser tied for second in heat 6 of the same event. Their times were faster than Cadogan’s, finishing in 22.46 seconds. Renzo Tjon-a-joe of Suriname was also in that heat. He finished 6th in a time of 22.56 seconds. Serbia’s Andrej Barna won the heat in 22.29 seconds.
Guyanese, Aleka Persaud finished second in heat 4 in the Women’s 50-metre freestyle. She swam a time of 27.76 seconds. St.Vincent and the Grenadines’ Mya de Freitas also swam in heat 4, finishing 4th in a time of 28.57 seconds. The heat was won by Papau New Guinea’s Judith Meauri in a time of 27.56 seconds.
More Caribbean swimmers turned out in the following heat. St. Lucian, Mikali Charlamagne finished 2nd in 26.99 seconds, and Antigua’s Samantha Roberts was 6th in 27.63 seconds. The Cameroon’s Norah Milanesi was 1st in a time of 26.41 seconds. Elinah Phillip from the British Virgin Islands (BVI) swam well for second place in heat 6. Her time was 25.74 seconds as she finished behind Ecuador’s Anicka Delgado in 25.36 seconds.
However, none of the Caribbean competitors were able to advance to the semifinals of their event based on the time factor.
