Event Archive
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| 20 May 2019: National Team for 34th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships announced (St. John’s) The Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) has announced the members of the National Swimming Team participating in the 34th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships to be held in Barbados April 19th – 24th, 2019.  Tivon Benjamin  Hailey Derrick  Olivia Fuller  Angelique Gittens  Diallo Marshall  Lleyton Martin  Terrell Bruno, Head Coach  Dr. Cleopatra Gittens, Team Manager The team comprises of swimmers Tivon Benjamin, Hailey Derrick, Olivia Fuller, Angelique Gittens, Diallo Marshall and Lleyton Martin. Traveling with the team is Head Coach Terrell Bruno and Team Manager Dr. Cleopatra Gittens. Commenting on the composition of the team and the athletes’ chances at the highly competitive meet, Coach Bruno said, “We have a very good team and I am extremely excited to see how they perform at the regional level. All of the team members are holders of national age group records and they all swam very well during the recently concluded National Swimming Championship. In fact, both Hailey and Olivia set new age group records at the Nationals, so we are on the right track.” He added, “There will be some need for some adjustment by the swimmers because the Barbados Aquatic Centre features a 50-metre pool, and we do not have a 50-metre pool in Antigua and Barbuda. So, we hope to get in a bit early to give the swimmers some time to practice at the pool.” President of the ABSF, Dr. Derek Marshall said, “With each successive year of participation, our performances at CARIFTA improve. This year, we have a strong team and we are hoping that we will, once again, touch the podium.” He noted, “the swimmers are focused, and they continue to prepare for what will undoubtedly be a highly completive meet with top swimmers from across the region.” President Marshall congratulated the swimmers for their selection to the National Team and urged them to hold the flag high and do the nation proud. He also called on Corporate Antigua to support the sport of swimming, saying, “I, like everyone else in the swimming fraternity, believe that swimming can produce our first Olympic podium. It, however, takes more that the dedication and hard work of the swimmers and the volunteers, it takes tangible support from the community. I am hoping that businesses will see and acknowledge the hard work of these young swimmers and I am confident that, one day, they will reward the nation with a proud Olympic moment.” The 34th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships is an approved qualifier for the 18th FINA World Championships 2019 (Gwangju, Korea), and the Pan American Games 2019 (Lima, Peru). For more information regarding Antigua and Barbuda Swimming, please contact: Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation 11 February 2019: National swimmers making waves (St. John’s) Several of Antigua and Barbuda’s national swimmers have been living up to their potential and making waves in swim meets overseas. Most recently, it was announced that Noah Mascoll-Gomes and Samantha Roberts have met the qualifying U Sport times and will be participating in the end-of-session Championship for all Universities across Canada. Noah, swimming for the Mount Allison University Mounties, continued his national record setting performances from the 2019 AUS Invitational Swim Meet at the 2019 Subway AUS Swimming Championships (short course) held at Dalhousie University, February 8th – 10th. In the lead off leg of the Men’s 400 Metre Medley Relay, he swam the 100 metre backstroke in a national record time of 58:70. This was followed by a bronze medal performance and national record in the Men’s 50 metre freestyle with a time of 23.06. Noah’s winning and record setting ways continued with a gold medal performance in the Men’s 200 metre free with a time of 1:50:42 and an impressive 26:17 and silver medal in the 50 metre backstroke. Not content with four national records, he capped the day with a fifth with a 50:26 in the 100 metre freestyle. In total, Noah made it to the podium four times with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.
It is no wonder that Noah was voted Atlantic University Sport’s (AUS) Rookie-Of-The- Year. That achievement is historic for the University as it represents the first-ever swimmer from a Mount Allison program to capture the award. After joining the Mounties swim team in January, he earned three first-place finishes and a second-place finish at his very first invitational meet hosted by Dalhousie in January. Considering that Noah missed the first semester of swimming and secured the award after only six weeks on his University team, the award even more remarkable. Meanwhile, Samantha Roberts continued her strong start to the 2019 season posting a personal best and national record 58:65 in the Women’s 100 metre freestyle (short course). Samantha, swimming for Western University, at the OUA Swimming Championships 2019 at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, set her new national record while placing 12th, overall, in a strong field of 62 swimmers. Head Coach Nelson Molina of the Wadadli Aquatic Racers (WAR) led the chorus of compliments for the swimmers, saying, “I am very proud to see the continued improvement of Noah and Samantha. They are swimming at a very high level and continue to impress everyone.They have now qualified to compete with the very best of Canada at the University level and I am confident that they will continue do the country proud.” In offering his congratulations to all of the swimmers, ABSF Technical Director and Head Coach of the Riptide Swim team, Mark Mitchell, said that Samantha’s performance invoked some nostalgia for him. “Sam did her national record in the same pool that I trained and competed in. The same pool I qualified for Nationals in, as well. Not only that, my former coach was there to witness her swim,” he remarked.  Stefano Mitchell  Jadon Wuilliez Across the Atlantic Ocean, two other national swimmers are making their mark. Stefano Mitchell and Jadon Wuilliez, both swimming for Plymouth College, have qualified for the 2019 British Swimming Championships slated to take place Tollcross International Pool in Glasgow, Scotland from 16th - 21st. Stefano and Jadon made the rigorous qualifying standards during the recently held Luxembourg Euro Meet 2019 (long course), which took place at the National Sports and Culture Centre d'Coque, January 26th – 28th. Stefano will swim in the open events, while Jadon will swim in the juniors category. Wayne Mitchell, Head Coach of the Vipers Swim Club, and father of Stefano, highlighted the significance of the swimmers’ accomplishments. He said, “Both Sefano and Jadon swam incredibly well in Luxembourg and have put themselves in a position to compete at the highest level in Great Britain.” He added, “The British Swimming Championships is the pinnacle of swimming in Britain and is often used as qualification trials for the season’s major championships. The event attracts the best of the best from England, Wales and Scotland and it impressive to know that Stefano and Jadon are going to compete with England’s elite swimmers.” Head Coach Terrell Bruno, of the Storm Swim Club, joined in sending congratulatory remarks to the swimmers. “I am extremely proud of what our young athletes have been able to accomplish in the face of tough international competition. I have had the opportunity to train Jadon and I am ecstatic to see his progress and successes. I am also extremely proud of Noah, Samantha, Stefano and all of our swimmers that represent us overseas. Their achievements remarkable and they continue to make Antigua and Barbuda proud. We will be cheering for each and every one of them whenever and wherever they compete.” Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) President Dr. Derek Marshall, commented, “On behalf of the ABSF Executive and the entire swim fraternity, I would like to send hearty congratulations to these fine swimmers for their outstanding performances and achievements. They continue to do us proud, as they excel and build on the foundation that they received here, at home. To see them qualify for National-level competition in Canada and Britain fills everyone with pride and joy. We wish them all the best as they plant our flag on international swimming.” Team Antigua and Barbuda next competes at the 34th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships April 20th – 23rd. The CARIFTA meet is an approved qualifier for the 18th FINA World Championships 2019 (Gwangju, Korea), and the Pan American Games 2019 (Lima, Peru). About: U Sports is the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country. For more information, visit usport.ca. Atlantic University Sport (AUS) is a sport organization responsible for governing university sport at member Atlantic Canadian universities. The conference is made up of eleven (11) member universities and represents member universities and supports their academic missions. For more information, visit atlanticuniversitysport.com The 2019 British Swimming Championships, serves as the nation’s selection for the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival, the 2019 European Junior Championships, the 2019 World Junior Championships and the 2019 World Championships. The 6-day British Swimming Championships are slated for April 16th – April 21st at Tollcross International Swimming Centre. and will include a 3-final format, including an Open Final containing the 8 fastest qualifiers of each event, irrespective of age; a Transitional Final containing the next fastest 8 competitors born 1996 or later; as well as a Junior Final containing ages mirroring those of World and European Junior Championships. For more information visit britishswimming.org For more information regarding Antigua and Barbuda Swimming, please contact: Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation 20 January 2019: Antigua and Barbuda swimmers set new national records (St. John’s) Two of Antigua and Barbuda’s top competitive swimmers have set new national records while competing at international swim meets in Canada. Noah Mascoll Gomes and Samantha Roberts both continued their excellent performances of 2018 as they started the new year. Noah, swimming for the Mount Allison University Mounties, delivered an exceptional meet performance while competing at the 2019 AUS Invitational Swim Meet (short course). The meet was hosted by Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia on January 19th, 2019. In his 34-point contribution to the Mounties team effort, Noah delivered the top male performance for the team with six top-five finishes, including capturing first-place finishes in three events; 50 metre backstroke, 200 metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle. It was his performances in the 50 metre backstroke and 100 metre freestyle events that earned him new national records with times of 27:00 and 50:99 respectively. Meanwhile, Samantha Roberts, swimming for Western University, at the Winter Invitation 2019 (short course) at the University of Toronto pool, became the first female from Antigua and Barbuda to swim the 50 metre freestyle event in under 27 seconds, doing so in 26:93. Samantha placed an impressive sixth overall in an event that fielded 143 swimmers in 20 heats from 34 different teams. President of the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) Dr. Derek Marshall, lauded the swimmer’s performances and congratulated them, their coaches and their teams, saying, “On behalf of the entire ABSF executive, I would like to congratulate both Noah and Samantha. I would also like to point out that their successes are rooted in Antigua and Barbuda and are proof positive that swimming continues to be on the rise. In saying that, I congratulate their local coach, Coach Nelson Molina and the Wadadli Aquatics Racers (WAR) Swim Club, for laying the foundation on which they continue to build. Noah and Samantha are both dedicated swimmers and are deserving of the national records and the other achievements they attain. They are proof that hard work and dedication pays off.” WAR’s head coach, Nelson Molina, said, “I am extremely proud of Noah and Samantha’s performances. They continue to work hard in the pool and represent the club and the country amazingly well. I wish them all the best as they continue the 2019 swim season.” To see more amazing swimming performances by Antigua and Barbuda’s dedicated athletes, the ABSF invites everyone to come out for some exciting family fun at that upcoming Wadadli Aquatic Racer’s (WAR) Go-The-Distance Meet scheduled for the January 29th and the Storm 9th Annual Sprinters Challenge slated for February 10th. For more information, please contact: January & February 2015 The Wadadli Aquatic Racers Swim Club’s - Go the Distance development challenge was held on January 11th at the Antigua Health & Fitness Club where the emphasis was on distance events of 200, 400, 800 & 1500 freestyle. Three clubs participated with a total of 46 swimmers.
This event was followed by the 5th Annual AAC-Storm Sprinter's Challenge on February 8th where the longest distance was 100m. Many of our swimmers were trying to make the qualifying times set by the Federation to attend Carifta, which takes place in Barbados over the Easter holiday. New Certified Officials Three persons, Peter Wall, Emma Martin and Denise Jarvis-Mason have returned from a FINA Swim School held February 7 – 8 in Puerto Rico as certified FINA officials. The clinic was conducted by Long Time Canadian Swimming pioneer and official, Bill Hogan, and Soren Kobo, Honorary Secretary of the FINA Technical Committee. All successfully completed the course and will be able to act locally and regionally as Referees, Starters and Stoke & Turn Judges. Congratulations to the trio!
Youth Award The Department of Youth Affairs named the Federation’s top seed Noah Mascoll-Gomes for the top male Sport Award in the National Youth Awards for 2014 held last Saturday, 7th February. Among his achievements are 4 medals at Carifta Swimming 2014 (1 silver and 3 bronze) and 2 medals, a silver and a bronze at the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championship (CISC) 2014. He was also top age group swimmer in 13-14 age category at the 2014 OECS Swimming Championships. He is also the recipient of an Olympic Solidarity Scholarship and is currently pursuing training in Miami with Azura Aquatics.
Decermber 2014
November 2014 Swimmers Rachel Wall and Stefano Mitchell attended the CAC Games in Mexico over November`15 – 20. This was the Federation's first appearance at these games which are very competitive. They were the youngest athletes competing and while their times were not overly competitive, they registered a combined 50% improvement in their times.
17th September, 2013 The summer months July – August have been active ones on the regional and international front for the Antigua Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF). With significant help from the Sports Tourism’s arm of the Ministry of Tourism, corporate donors and its international body FINA, the Federation sent teams to the and 4th FINA Junior Worlds in Dubai.
The CCCAN team comprised three swimmers who made the 2 AAA times standard set by the Federation and coach Edith Clashing. The swimmers were Noah Mascoll-Gomes (13-14), Samantha Roberts (11-12) and Daryl Appleton (11-12) and they performed over 5 days of competition. The most outstanding performance came from Samantha Roberts who on the final day, won Antigua’s first regional swimming medal, bronze in 50 butterfly. Samantha also made finals in the 50 breaststroke, achieving 4th place. Daryl Appleton was second in outstanding performance as he placed 2nd in the 50 breaststroke prelims earning him a seeded spot in the finals, where he placed 6th. These two achievements were indeed exciting for all, as this was Antigua’s first CCCAN Championship which is rated the highest Caribbean and Central American Championship.
These events see the world’s best swimmers and the international experience alone augers well for the development of our swimmers. The swimmers come away from these championships with memories that will last a lifetime and an unparalleled learning experience as they take the next step in their swimming career. All the young swimmers are to be congratulated for the training they have put in to yield the results they have achieved. The Federation expresses sincere thanks to the parents, the Ministry of Tourism and the corporate and individual donors and sponsors who helped to make participation in these events possible.
12th October, 2012 The Antigua Barbuda Swimming Federation is pleased to announce the selection of Team Antigua & Barbuda to the 22nd Sagicor OECS Swimming Championships. The National Swim trials held last week end at the Antigua Athletic Club had ninety nine (99) swimmers vying for the 34 spots available on the team. The conduct of the meet was hailed a success as the organizers ran the meet in the format expected for the soon upcoming championships to be held November 9-11. Over the weekend, 31 new National records were broken and set and time improvements were seen in the majority of swimmers, giving testimony to the hard work and preparation clubs have been engaged in to prepare for the trials. Sixteen (16) girls and eighteen (18) boys and four (4) alternates have been named to the team. Of the confirmed swimmers, sixteen swimmers (16) hail from the Wadadli Aquatic Racers Swim Club, fifteen (15) from the Antigua Aquatic Club - Storm, and three (3) from Marlins Swim Club. The team will be led by Team Manager, Peter Wall and Head Coach Mark Mitchell and Assistant Coaches Wayne Mitchell and Carl Joseph. The names of the swimmers are as follows:
1st October, 2012 St. John's, Antigua The ANTIGUA BARBUDA SWIMMING FEDERATION (ABSF) is pleased to announce that for the first time in 19 years, Antigua & Barbuda will be the host to the OECS Swimming Championship. This auspicious event, the 22nd Annual OECS Swimming Championship will be held from 9th - 11th November 2012, and promises to be a very competitive, thrilling and high-profile regional meet, bringing together the region's most talented swimmers. Teams are expected from the OECS territories of St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the British Virgin Islands. Hosting this event is a major achievement in the development of swimming in Antigua & Barbuda. A few years ago in 2007, 9 swimmers represented Antigua & Barbuda in Grenada, coming home with 2 medals, a significant accomplishment at the time. Since 2007, Antigua & Barbuda has witnessed an incredible, exponential growth in talent and performance in swimming. Four years later, in 2011, 29 swimmers represented Antigua & Barbuda in St. Lucia, this time coming home with a grand total of 113 medals, having broken 4 OECS records. A full contingent of 34 swimmers will be selected to represent Antigua & Barbuda at the 22nd Annual Championship. Team selection will take place after the Harper's Office Depot National Time Trials which is scheduled to take place this weekend 5th - 7th October at the Antigua Athletic Club. As many as 100 age group swimmers are estimated to participate in the National Trials to vie for places on the national team. The ABSF has the ambitious task of raising funds of EC$65,000 to ensure the success of this historic event. We eagerly look forward to the continued support of both the Government and private sector to meet this target and to make the 22nd Annual Sagicor OECS Swimming Championship a resounding success. |
The 28th LIME National Open Water Swimming Championship which was slated for November 2014 was held January 25th and 44 swimmers tackled a selection of 3 courses; 1.4k, 2.6k and 5k distances. Male champion of the 1.4k was 11yr old Alexander Bento (20.02.5) and female champion was India Abbott in a time of 20:04.09. The 2.6k male and female winners were 17 year old J’air Smith (38:11.00) and 12 year old Bianca Mitchell (45:36.3) respectively. The 5k overall champion was Daryl Appleton (1:16:00.4) and the female Champion was Rachel Wall (1:23.00.06).
The ABSF’s top 3 seeds Noah Mascoll Gomes, Samantha Roberts & J’air Smith attended the 12
The Federation selected a team of three swimmers: J’air Smith 16, Noah Mascoll-Gomes 14 and Rachael Wall 14, who participated in Barcelona 2013 through universality placement. Each of these swimmers, who traveled with Coach Edith Clashing, represented themselves and Antigua well and achieved personal best times in their events.
Omar John 15, Nathan Marshall 15, Aliah Maginley 15 and Gabriella John 14 , attended the 4th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships held in Dubai in August, and tested their skill on the world stage. They were accompanied by Coach Mark Mitchell. After six days of competition in the desert, the swimmers posted nearly 80% personal best times with three out of four of the swimmers winning at least one of their heats.