RAEKWON Noel’s outstanding performance at this year’s CARIFTA Swimming Championships, which was held in Curaçao, will be remembered as a significant moment in Guyana’s swimming history, as well as that of the 38-year-old event.

Competing in the Under-18 age group, Noel secured five gold medals in the 1500m Freestyle, 400m Individual Medley, 800m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly, and the 400m Freestyle events. He was the only swimmer from Guyana to win any medals this year, as other swimmers who made it to several finals were unable to secure podium finishes.

Noel not only broke four of his National records, but also set a new CARIFTA 800m freestyle record, missing out on breaking the 200m butterfly record by less than one- hundredth of a second.
Meanwhile, Aleka Persaud made it to the finals of four events, namely, the 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly, and 50m freestyle. Vladimir Woodroofe made it to the final of the 200m backstroke, while Persaud, Ariel Rodrigues, Zara Crane, and Maiya Ifill qualified for the girls 15-17 relay finals.