Persaud, Seaton, Winter, and Scott maintain dominance

ORCA Speed Swim Club’s Aleka Persaud, Silver Shark’s Leon Seaton and Dorado’s Lian Winter and Daniel Scott continued their dominance in the respective categories at last weekend’s July Sprint Swim Meet at the National Aquatic Centre in Liliendaal.
Dolphin’s Nikita Fiedtkou and Kenita Mahaica continued their rivalry in the Girls’ 15-17, sharing the wins, but it was Mahaica who had the edge and emerged age-group champion.
Persaud, Seaton and Winter also prevailed as age-group champions, while Scott was 19 points behind the 119 points of Orca’s Antonio Rodrigues, to top the Boys’ 15-17 division.
Rodrigues topped the category by virtue of being the most consistent performer in the category.
Scott bagged the 200m freestyle (2:05.78s), 100m freestyle (57.78s), 50m freestyle (26.04s), 100m butterfly (1:03.85s), and 50m butterfly (28.59s) gold medals, where Rodrigues played second fiddle.
Scott also championed the 50m breaststroke (32.17s), and 100m breaststroke (1:13.90s), where it was Dorado’s Alex Winter that took second place in these events.
Rodrigues had his time to shine on Saturday in the 200m IM, beating Winter in a time of 2:33.77s. Rodrigues had got started on Friday afternoon with a silver in the 100m backstroke after failing to overcome Silver Shark’s Nathon Hackett who stopped the clock at 1:09.18s.

Also on Saturday, Rodrigues had bronze in the 100m breaststroke, clocking 1:19.38s.
On the distaff end, Mahaica amassed five gold, three silver and one bronze to rule the roost. However, it was Fiedtkou who seized the category’s very first gold when she overpowered Mahaica in the 100m freestyle, clocking 1:05.13s, and Mahaica finished some 3 seconds behind.

Mahaica turned back her challenge in the 50m breaststroke, the only one in the race to go sub 40 seconds, but only just, as she touched the wall at 39.78 seconds.
Fiedtkou also got the better of Mahaica in the 50m freestyle (30.18s), but Mahaica countered with wins in the 200m IM (2:57.86s), 100m breaststroke (1:31.50s), 50m butterfly (33.34s), and 50m backstroke (33.69s).
However, Accalia Khan got the better of both Mahaica and Fiedtkou in Sunday’s 200m freestyle where she took the win in 2:28.63s. Fiedtkou was second (2:32.28s) and Mahaica third (2:34.00s).

Ten-year-old Persaud ruled the Girls’ 9-10 division, never settling for less than gold in any of her ten events, while clocking new seed times across 9 of the races.
In the 200m IM she was over six seconds faster than her previous personal best clocking 2:54.57s.
There were upgraded times in the 50m freestyle (30.29s) 100m freestyle (1:08.32s), 200m freestyle (2:32.43s), 50m breaststroke (39.87s), 100m breaststroke (1:31.34s), 100m backstroke (1:21.47s).
She also won the 50m (34.36s) and 100m butterfly.
Her nearest competition continued to come from Patrice Mahaica.
Seaton was unmatched as he blazed through victory after victory, registering 10 straight wins across the weekend. After taking the 100m freestyle (1:00.10s), 50m breaststroke (36.84s) and 100m backstroke (1:11.50s) on Friday, he followed up with the 200m IM (2:36.94s), 50m freestyle (27.28s) 100m breaststroke (1:23.71s) and 50m butterfly (30.12s) on Saturday.

On Sunday he closed off with triumph in the 200m freestyle (2:13.67s), 50m backstroke (31.55s), and 100m butterfly (1:07.50s) .
Lian was the best swimmer of the Girls’ 11-12 category, where a silver in the 50m breaststroke (43.15s) was the only blemish on her perfect record over the weekend. Orca’s Nia Fraser proved to be more that Lian could handle, in that event, and she clocked the winning time of 42.89 seconds.
However Lian went on to win the 50m freestyle (31.79s), 100m freestyle (1:10.04s), 200m freestyle (2:36.21s), 50m backstroke (34.74s), 100m backstroke (1:18.92s), 200m IM (2:56.15s), 50m butterfly (34.22s), and 100m butterfly (1:19.57s).