SVG’s Black Sands Swim Squad takes gold in Barbados

Four Black Sands Swim Squad athletes, Shné and Alex Joachim, Justin and Nikolas Sylvester battled their way to more swimming success at the 23rd Annual Aquatic Centre International Invitational in Barbados from May 23 to 25, 2014.{{more}}

Eighteen clubs, consisting of 319 top swimmers from the region, took part in the event and SVG’s Black Sands swimmers were able to bring home a total of 14 medals, whilst leaving their SVG swimming talents stamped firmly in the Barbados record books.

CARIFTA record holder Shné Joachim showed her team mates the way by starting off the competition in record-breaking style. Her favourite event, the 50 m Breaststroke, was owned by Joachim when she swam a record- breaking time of 35.58 seconds; not only winning the event by over five seconds, Joachim set a new meet record and also smashed the Barbados national record by more than half a second. Joachim went on to dominate the girls 13-14 years age group, winning a total of five gold and three bronze medals and being awarded the Girls 13-14 Age Group Champion for the meet.

Shné’s younger brother, Alex Joachim swam his way to a gold medal in the 50 metres Butterfly in the boys 9-10 age group and also brought home a silver medal in the 50 metres Breaststroke.

Nikolas Sylvester added to the medal count by swimming his way to the silver medal position in the 50, 100 and 200 metres Breaststroke in the boys 13-14 age group, whilst younger brother Justin Sylvester swam with improved strength, delivering 10 personal best times.

Black Sands coach Kyle Dougan said “once again our swimmers did St Vincent and the Grenadines proud when competing within the region. Shné swam one of her most solid performances yet, proving to the region that St Vincent and the Grenadines has a dominant force in the girls 13-14 swimming category.” Dougan was also able to assist in the medal count for Black Sands Swim Squad, swimming himself to a bronze medal in the men’s 15 years and over 50 metres Breaststroke.

Shné Joachim and Nikolas Sylvester will lead the SVG swimming contingent at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in late July.

“In spite of their limited training facility, the elite swimmers of the SVGSF continue to establish SVG as a dominant force in swimming. Their continued determination, successes and the ever increasing interest of young people joining the sport further confirm that expanding the Shrewsbury pool is a necessity to grow the sport in SVG. We thank the Government of St Vincent for recognizing this need by granting the association permission to expand the pool facility and the assistance they will offer to carry out some of the work,” a release from Black Sands said.