media_artricles :: 2015

No medals for T&T at Youth Games

T&T ended without a medal at the Fifth Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa, yesterday after swimmers Jeron Thompson and Amira Pilgrim failed to climb the medal rostrum at the Tuana’imato Sports Facility.

Thompson swam the fourth and final men’s 50m freestyle preliminary heat and touched the wall in 25.15 for sixth spot behind Australian Jack Cartwright (23.58), New Zealand’s Mario Koenigsperger (23.93), Wales’ Joseph Clark (24.26), England’s Kyle Chisholm (24.40) and Ghana’s Abeiku Jackson (24.61).

However, with only the top 16 advancing to the A and B finals, Bovell was forced into a swim-off with Barbadian Damon St Prix, Jersey’s Harry Shalamon and Jamaican Joseph Black for the final three B-final spots. And in the swim off the T&T swimmer was first home in 24.72, a new personal best ahead off Shalamon (24.92), Black (25.03) and St Prix (25.40),

In the finals, Thompson could not repeat his form and reached home in joint seventh in 25.10, the same as Brody Hewison. Amira Pilgrim had a much better outing in the women’s 50m freestyle third heat with a 27.13 clocking for second in heat three andm eight best overall, and behind New Zealand’s Gabrielle Fa’amaulsili (26.84).

Swimming out of lane eight in the final, Pilgrim completed her lap in 27.11 to earn seventh spot, well adrift of the top three finishers, Australian Shayna Jack (25.71). South African Erin Gallagher and New Zealand’s Gabrielle Faamausili, who were joint second in 25.82 The T&T swimmers then joined together with swimmers from Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados and Cyprus to swim in an exhibition 400m freestyle final to third spot 3rd position in 3:30.20.

Pilgrim also swam a personal best in the 50m breaststroke to finish fourth in her heat in 36.94. However, her time was not fast enough to secure her a spot in the final. One highlight for Team TTO was the opportunity to take part in UNICEF’s Just Play Programme. The Samoa 2015 Chef Jeannette Small, and track and field duo Akidah Briggs, who was sixth in the women’s shot put and Akanni Hislop engaged in football with young kids from the small Pacific Island.

The Just Play Programme promotes physical activity for children aged 6 - 12 years old through football-related activities, while also addressing endemic issues such as non-communicable diseases, poor nutrition, gender equality, stigma and discrimination towards children with disabilities.

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