Joachim and Sylvester lead SVG’s OECS swim quest

Shne Joachim and Nikolas Sylvester head up St Vincent and the Grenadines’ team to the 2015 OECS Junior Swimming Championships set for Antigua and Barbuda, November 5 to 8.

The two are part of a 22-member team of swimmers, who will be looking to better this country’s placing in this the 25th staging of the championships.{{more}}

Apart from Joachim, who last year in St Lucia broke the 100m breaststroke record for the females 13 to 14, the others of her gender are Jamie Joachim, Kenice Green, Adiah Phillips, Caitlin Polius, Tia Gun-Munro, Mya De Freitas, Paige Cadogan and Ria Adams.

Joining Sylvester in the male selectees are Matthew Ballah, Brandon George, Elonte Leonard, Jayson Sandy, Bryson George, Kenale Alleyne, Alexander Joachim, Shane Cadogan, Cruz Halbich, Dillon Gooding and Gerard Geowarsingh. The Vincentians range from age 7 to 18.

At their outing in 2014, St Vincent and the Grenadines placed fourth, with 657 points. Host St Lucia gained 1,403 to top the standings, ahead of Grenada, 1,320 points and third – Antigua and Barbuda, 1,244.5 points. The British Virgin Islands was the other competing team, and they gathered 185.5 points.

In total then, the Vincentian contingent hauled in 35 medals, with Shne Joachim copping two gold, two silver and two bronze and Sylvester – two gold, two silver and three bronze. Sylvester, in the process, lowered the 100m male breaststroke record in the 13 to 14 age group.

But it was Alexander Joachim, who swam in the male 9 to 10 age group, who claimed the most medals for St Vincent and the Grenadines, pouching four gold, two silver and two bronze, while Shane Cadogan, in the 11 to 12 years category, necklaced three gold and four silver.(RT)