TWO-time Olympian Aleka Persaud was off the mark on Sunday in her women’s 100 meters butterfly as she swam a pedestrian time of 1:06.49 at the World Aquatics Championship in Singapore.

It was in stark contrast with her participation in Barbados earlier this year where she stopped the clock in a personal best time of 1 minute 04.93 seconds which stands as the national record in the event.

National coach Sean Baksh says that Persaud was on target to improve on her personal best at the halfway mark but seemed to have lost steam in the second 50 metres.

Baksh says that he believes that the 25 hours of travelling two days prior to the meet may have taken its toll on her legs but he believes she should be more solid and back to her best next Thursday in her 100 freestyle event where she also holds the national record.

Meanwhile, Raekwon Noel who is the first male swimmer to qualify directly for the event for Guyana will suit up for the 100- and 200-metres butterfly event.

He will first dive into the pool tomorrow in the 200 metres then the 100 on August 1st.

At the PANAM Aquatics Championship in Colombia earlier this year, Noel qualified for the World Aquatics Championship through the B standard in the 200 metres freestyle event.

In the event he rewrote the history book with a new national record in the 200 meters butterfly.

He also set national records in the 400-metre, 800 metre and 1500-metre freestyle as well as the 50-metre and 100-metre back stroke at the PANAM event.

Baksh says he expected a good showing from the young land shark Noel who has been in Singapore for a couple of weeks.

“Raekwon had been in Singapore since the 16th and he had been training with his coach in the USA, he is working very hard, he was at the pool with me this morning (Sunday) I’ve seen where he is and he is doing quite well.”

The swimmers and coach are also accompanied by Guyana Amateur Swimming Association President, Yolema Phillips.