SWIMMING clubs affiliated to the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) were invited by the Club De Dolfijn, to participate in its 6th Annual Anthony Nesty International Open and Age Group Swim Meet, held in Paramaribo, Suriname January 22 to 24, 2010.

The age-grouping of this meet was unusual. Unlike our accustomed groupings of 8 & Under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-17 and 18 & Over, (all but the latter used in the Goodwill and Carifta Swimming Championships) the age-groups were 6 & Under, 7-8, 9-10 and Open.

The Dorado Speed Swim club was represented by four swimmers.

Their names and ‘normal’ 2010 age-groups are: Niall Roberts 18 & Over, Britany van Lange 13-14, Soroya Simmons 13-14, Athena Gaskin 13-14; they all competed in the ‘Open’ category.

Their coach, Nicholas Fraser, accompanied the team and parent, Han Gaskin, functioned as Team Manager.

The event was held at De Dolfijn’s Paramaribo facility and attracted over 200 swimmers from seven teams including the large Pacoussine contingent from French Guyana and the Dorado team from Guyana.

Of the Guyanese swimmers, only Niall Roberts was able to secure medals, winning silver medals in the 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle boys’ open races.

In the 100m butterfly Roberts placed second with a time of 1:00.20 behind his long-time friend and rival Suriname’s Marcelino Richaards who won in a time of 56.90 seconds.

And in the 50m freestyle he finished in a time of 24.50 seconds behind Suriname’s Gord Touw Ngie Tjouw who won in a time of 24.09.

Roberts also participated in the boys open 100m freestyle where he placed fourth overall in a time of 54.46 seconds. With these excellent results, Roberts single-handedly tied for second place in the Open Team rankings, with ten points.

Of the girls, only Britany van Lange was able to make it to the finals in one of her races – the girls open 100m freestyle. She ended up fifth overall with a time of 1:06.63. Her team mates Athena Gaskin and Soroya Simmons finished 13th and 18th respectively out of a field of 25 swimmers.

The three girls also took part in the open 50m freestyle race with van Lange and Gaskin finishing in 6th and 7th place overall out of a field of 29 swimmers. As five lanes were being used, they were just out of the qualifying number. In van Lange’s case, the margin was a heart-breaking two-hundredths of a second; Simmons, however, placed 24th.

Simmons and van Lange finished 13th and 14th respectively in the girls’ open 200m individual medley out of a field of 19 swimmers, and 13th and 21st respectively in the 100m backstroke out of a field of 28 swimmers.

In the girls’ open 100m breaststroke Gaskin finished 12th out of the 16 swimmers who took part.

In a spirit of sportsmanship, the three girls were allowed to participate in a 4 x 100m medley relay and a 4x100m freestyle relay with the loan of a fourth swimmer, by host club De Dolfijn. They finished in fifth and sixth respectively in these two races.