Swimmers bag over 60 medals in Barbados
(CNS): Cayman’s junior swimmers brought home a total of 61 medals from the CARIFTA Games in Barbados after a record-breaking year for the national team. The team netted 25 gold, 23 silver and 9 bronze medals in the swimming pool and another two golds as well as an additional silver and bronze medals in the open water events, landing in third place overall on the leaderboard. The results also reflected four national records for Jillian Crooks (15), as well as Lila Higgo (14), who made history by sweeping the board with record times in the backstroke events.
Meanwhile, the track and field athletes competing in Jamaica added another four medals to the Caribbean youth games total with a gold, a silver and two bronze.
Acting Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, Isaac Rankine, who welcomed home the swimmers and athletes last week, said government was planning to formally acknowledge their achievements this coming weekend with a special reception.
“Their participation in these well-respected regional events comes after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic,” he said. “Despite such setbacks and training challenges faced by all our athletes and their families, our junior athletes gave exceptional performances, lifting the nation and making us all very proud,” he added.
Rankine is currently acting as sports minister as Bernie Bush was suspended from office for two weeks over his interference in recruitment issues relating to the fire service, but Bush did attend the Games to support the team.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Local News, Sports
And how much money on football… how we doing in that?
Congrats to all the athletes. I really do believe that all athletes should be vetted before the next CARIFTA games and World Cup qualifiers, as I do believe that it should be only Caymanians who should represent the Cayman Islands and not children of work permit holders.
So you want to win less then…
FYI – Winning has nothing to do with it. I’m sure that I can’t go to your country or any other country and be a representative in the World Cup or CARIFTA. Caymanians can’t go to another country and try to have a say or rule that country like how the expacts come here and do as they please in CAYMAN.
In the end the only thing that the young athletes will receive is a scholarship at their future favorite college and possibly a career in TRACK and FIELD and SWIMMING because of the word records that they have broken/received at these events. Like I said congrats to all and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
Yes you can go into many other countries and compete on the world stage. Do you enjoy being a miserable bigot?
How many work permit holders help to fund these programs in which Caymanians are successful? So you’d like them to keep playing their part but not compete?
Kindly read the link providing below in regards to representing a country like the Olympics.
https://www.kcci.com/article/competing-for-another-country-at-the-olympic-games/39072272#
Also, as far as I am aware there is a difference between being a resident of a country and a citizen of a country.
Anywhoo, the Cayman Islands Government will have the final say in who represents MY Country.
Most obvious troll lol.
Doesn’t a 25-meter pool make our swimmers better at turns? In training they are doing double the number of turns swimmers in other countries do in their 50-meter pools. Maybe this is our secret weapon!
Overall, without, a doubt our young people of these islands continue to shine. Whether it be sports, drama, academic or plain old just being young people.
Too often the accomplishments of this group of our populace is over shadow by negativity whether it be at school or in the wider community.
Let’s continue to encourage this segment of our populace to continue to do their very best at home, school, and most certainly in the wider community.
Well done Cayman’s youth!
Congratulations to all of our athletes, who represented the Cayman Island. We are very proud of you all. Keep up the great work.
God bless,
Orrie 🙏🏻🇰🇾
CONGRATS !!!!! Swim Team & Track & Field keep up the good works we have several good young athlete’s in various sports so wish you’ll well …reach for the stars and you will get there
Incredible! Well done swimmers! If this doesn’t show our need for a 50m pool in Grand Cayman I dont know what does! Lets keep these youth motivated and allow them to train in the best conditions possible!
Imagine if we had a diving pool too.
Imagine if we had a velodrome. Imagine if we had a handball court. Imagine if we had a BMX track.
Imagine if we had a NASCAR track…..
Keep it going.
Pickle Ball Court?
Dodge Ball.
We have a team of 19 that we could send to competitions every week.
Try the tennis club. They have pickle ball courts too
We’d win zero medals in carifta diving.
It kind of shows the opposite.
Swimmers continue to do well without a proper 50m facility to train in.
CIG should find the funding to support this sport and also provide the venue to ensure every child in the Cayman Islands is taught how to swim.
On that note…Cayman Brac now has a 25m pool yet no swim lessons on weekends?
There is one a Clifton Hunter as well but it appears to be little used.
Vela in south sound has a 50 metre pool.
And they limit use to residents only… Very benevolent of them in supporting the teams – even if only the last few weeks before a major event… NOT!!!
Why should the residents allow others in their pool? They paid for it & pay to maintain it.
The government earns millions every year & spends it on lots of other sports. Boxing/football/netball.
Build a 50m pool PACT.
Vela actually has multiple 50m pools but they aren’t a training facility and you can hardly blame a Strata for not opening their private facility to hundreds of people given the concerns their insurers would have.
Not to mention the impact on the quiet enjoyment that the residents are meant to have.
Bernie did not attend CARIFTA swimming. Nor has he ever. He does always seem to find his way to track and field though.
Govt has spent so much money on track. Build the new 50m pool PACT!
Wait until you find out how much they are about to spend on the track on the bluff.