Peat shines at Junior Champs

PAUL Peat of Y-Speedos Swim Club accounted for five of the 21 records registered at the three-day Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) Junior Swimming Championships which ended at the National Stadium Pool yesterday.

The meet which is the final chance for swimmers to qualify for the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC) to be held in Aruba, from July 20-24, saw Carifta 200 metre breastroke champion Raine Paulson-Andrews and Tornadoes' Abiona Redwood taking the spotlight in the female section with two records each.

Peat set records in the 11 and over 200 metres backstroke (2:29.66), 100m butterfly (1:00.83), 50m freestyle (25.38), 100m backstroke (1:06.30), 200m individual medley (2:24.84).

The 19-year-old UTech student said after his below-par performance at the Tornadoes Invitational meet recently, he sought the aid of his coach Michael Wilson because he wanted to make the team.

"I spoke to my coach and after that I underwent some intensive training for the past two weeks," he said. "This is a very important meet in my training because this is the only local meet to qualify from before July. This gives me the opportunity to see where I am for the CISC," he added.

Andrews of Montego Bay All Stars snapped the 23-year-old 11 and over 400m individual medley record of 5:47.83 set by Mellisa Phillips by posting a convincing 5:44.88. She later annihilated her own 200m breastroke record of 2:56.93 with 2:56.93, despite a strong challenge from Redwood (2:59.13).

"This is like training for me. I just started training because I took two weeks off after the Carifta Championships to rest. I am pretty happy for the 400m individual medley record because I am not a 400m person," said Andrews who is aiming to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Redwood who garnered two bronze and a silver for Jamaica at the Carifta Champs set records in the 100m freestyle (1:02.88) and 50m freestyle (28.12).

Y-Speedos' Jason James was also in top form as he broke the 1976 11 and over 100m breaststroke record of 1:15.18 with 1:14.41. James established a record in the 200m breaststroke (2:45.49).

Among other record breakers were Shamori Todd of Y-Speedos who broke the 24-year-old 11 and over 200m freestyle record of 4:35.85 by posting 4:32.91; Amelia Thompson of Tornadoes in the 200m freestyle (2:22.48); Mariana Chuck of Tornadoes in the 200m back (2:45.21); Andrew Saunders of Tornadoes in the 100m freestyle (57.17) and Dwayne Scott also of Tornadoes in the 200m butterfly (2:24.31).

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