Zarek Wilson and Nikoli Blackman were the stars as T&T swimmers went on a meet record breaking streak at the Titans Aquatics Invitational Swim Meet last weekend at the Aquatic Centre in Barbados.
Wilson of Blue Dolphins swam his way to five records and three 9�10 age group male National records. In the 100m freestyle Wilson took gold in one minute, 02.40 seconds smashing the old meet record of 1:07.97 minutes.
Also going under the meet record was Nikoli Blackman of Marlins, who won silver in 1:04.45. Wilson in the process surpassed his own 1:02.80 national record.
In another meet record breaking race, Wilson (2:17.40) and Blackman (2:19.25) again went one two in the 200m freestyle, demolishing the old time of 2:28.35. Wilson erased his own national record of 2:23.35 which was set in 2015.
The impressive Wilson made another entry into the Barbados record books with a time of 38.84 seconds in the 50m breaststroke, eclipsing the old time of 39.10 in another gold medal performance.
The duo again went one two eclipsing the meet record of 50m backstroke of 36.71, with Wilson stopping the clock at 33.52 winning gold, with Blackman's 36.00 earning silver.
This time, Wilson erased his own old national record of 34.02. The 50m freestyle rounded up meet record number five for Wilson. Wilson's 28.94 earned gold with Blackman (29.67) winning silver, both breaking the meet record of 29.89.
Blackman was not to be left out of the record books as he is owner of two new meet records in the 200m individual medley and 50m butterfly. He made easy of the 200 individual medley meet record of 2:44.06, establishing a new mark of 2:39.90, pushing Wilson into second place in 2:42.16.
Fingernails separated the finish in the 50 butterfly as Blackman (32.32) edged Wilson (32.34) to take gold and own the meet record, eclipsing the old mark of 34.80.National swimmer, Jeron Thompson, of Atlantis Aquatics, established five 15 & Over boys meet records at the Titans Meet.
Thompson, the 2015 First Citizens Youth Sportsman of the Year, first started with the 200IM with a new mark of 2:16.90, beating the old time of 2:18.47.
In the 100 freestyle, 53.41 earned Thompson gold surpassing the old mark of 54.06. Thompson (25.99) got the better of compatriot Kael Yorke of Tidal Wave Aquatics (26.26) both surpassing the record of 27.24 in the 50m butterfly. The 50m freestyle (24.37) and 100m breaststroke (1:06.47) saw Thompson eclipse the old times of 24.86 and 1:13.47, respectively. This rounded Thompson's meet record four and five.
Yorke added his name in the record books establishing meet records in the 13�14 100 fly (58.21) and Open 200 butterfly (2:10.80), decimating the old times of 1:02.03 and 2:15.98, respectively.
Jonathan Constantine of Silver Sharks, Jada Chatoor of Marlins, Aqeel Joseph of Sea Hawks, and Malik Nelson of Atlantis all established one meet record a piece.
Constantine (27.87) won the 13-14 50 butterfly, surpassing the old time of 29.03, with compatriot Joseph second in 27.92. Chatoor (2:37.53) eclipsed the old mark of 2:38.01 in the 200 butterfly. Joseph's 1:01.79 was the gold medal time in the 13-14 100 fly, breaking the old time of 1:05.11. Also in the 100 butterfly, Nelson established a new time of 1:04.41, eclipsing the old time of 1:06.33.
Marlins Swim Club was the highest ranked T&T club in the Barbados meet, which was eventually won by Alpha Sharks of Barbados. Pirates and Titans Barbados were second and fourth, respectively, with Atlantis of T&T fifth.