National record for Izaak Bastian

Bahamian swimmer Izaak Bastian swam his first long course race competitively in over a year over the weekend and he did not disappoint as he swam his way to a new national record in the men’s 200 meters (m) breaststroke. The performance came at the Bahamas Aquatics Federation’s Last Chance Meet at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Aquatic Centre.

The meet, which was originally the final CARIFTA qualifier meet for the federation, had some good swims as Grand Bahama clubs flew into New Providence and performed well. The CARIFTA swim team was to be named yesterday but with CARIFTA Aquatics Championships not having any update, the junior swimmers will look to continue to lower their times in preparation for the big meet.

Bastian, who swam for the Barracuda Swim Club, was able to lower his own national record in the men’s 200m breast, swimming 2:16.07 to erase the old record of 2:17.78 – more than a second faster. With that swim, the former decorated junior swimmer now has the highest FINA (International Swimming Federation) male points for The Bahamas as he battles for a spot with second-place Jared Fitzgerald to represent The Bahamas at the Tokyo Summer Olympics later this year. Bastian was the only senior swimmer in that race.

“I had a better 200m breast. I was not prepared for it as well as I wanted to… still got up and race, did what I wanted to do and closer to what I wanted to do in the 200m breast. I cannot complain but there is still some work to do,” Bastian said.

The Bahamian collegiate swimmer at Florida State University (FSU) said it will be interesting to see who makes it to the Olympics as he and his friends battle for a spot, but in the end, it’s all love between them as to who gets the spot.

In the senior men’s 100m breaststroke on Saturday, Bastian was .19 seconds away from making the Olympic ‘B’ cut when he clocked a personal best time of 1:01.92. The Olympic ‘B’ time is 1.01.73. His previous personal best was 1:02.41.

“I’m not that happy with it,” Bastian said. “I wanted to be a little bit faster but after conference and traveling here, have me riding on a tight rope. It is hard to do, especially when you haven’t done long course all year and to come into long course is a big challenge. I did not have any race strategy or anything, and I did not know what I was walking into pain-wise, so it was a bit of a surprise. I definitely wanted to be faster and I guess right now, I have to take it because I cannot do anything else.”

Unattached swimmer Luke Kennedy was second behind Bastian in that race with a time of 1:09.47.

Bastian won the 100m freestyle when he touched the wall in a quick 23.41 seconds. Finishing second was Mako Aquatics Club’s Kohen Kerr who clocked 24.03 seconds. Bastian’s teammate, Gershwin Greene, was third in 24.62 seconds.

Swimming in his first long course meet of the season also was one of the top junior swimmers in the country in Marvin Johnson. He was one of 29 swimmers who came in from Grand Bahama for the meet. The 14-year-old swam in seven races and swam faster than the CARIFTA and CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Swimming Federation) qualifying standards in all his races. He also swam personal best times in six races.

Now swimming at the top of the boys 13-14 age group, Johnson got personal bests in 50m free, 50m backstroke, 100m, free, 100m butterfly, 100m back and the 200m back. He missed out on a personal best time in the 50m fly.

“It was a good meet,” Johnson said. “Not swimming for a year with competition, it was good to get back into Nassau and swim in a long course pool again. My times were good and I got a lot of personal bests. It is just about going back to the drawing board and coming back to swim fast.”

In the 50m breast, the YMCA Wave Runners Swim Club swimmer clocked 28.95 seconds to win that race. Finishing second was Mako’s Amauri Bonamy who swam 30.64 seconds to also achieve the CARIFTA standard. Bonamy’s teammate Zion Gibson finished third with a time of 31.31 seconds.

Johnson won the 100m fly when he put on a strong swim to clock a quick 1:00.57. The Barracuda’s Matthias Simms and Johnson’s teammate Asher Johnson were second and third respectively as they achieved the CARIFTA standard. Simms recorded a time of 1:03.37 and Asher Johnson sported a time of 1:03.52.

Marvin Johnson’s dominance continued in the pool when he clocked 27.17 seconds in the 50m fly. Asher Johnson had the second fastest time with a CARIFTA qualifying time of 27.82 seconds. Bonamy came in third when he touched the wall in 28.84 seconds.

In the 100m back, Marvin Johnson was once again spectacular when he powered his way to a quick 1:04.07 to finish first in that event. Bonamy was once again able to achieve the CARIFTA standard as he posted a time of 1:07.87 to place second. Gibson finished the race in 1:08.80.

With 36 other competitors in the 50m free, Johnson came out with the top time of 24.69 seconds. Mako’s Tristin Ferguson claimed the second fastest time as he clocked 26.03 seconds to also achieve the CARIFTA standard. Gibson was third overall after he posted a time of 27.31 seconds.

It was the same finish order in the 100m fly with Johnson finishing well under a minute with a time of 53.86 seconds. Ferguson achieved the CARIFTA standard as he too went under a minute to finish the race in 56.83 seconds. Gibson finished the race in 1:00.65.

In the final event of the three-session meet, Johnson clocked 2:23.35 to win the 200m back. Gibson was second with a time of 2:37.89. The Barracuda’s Kyle Albury was third when he swam 2:53.44.

Johnson’s teammate, Nigel Forbes, had a good swim in the 15-17 boys age group. He won the 50m breast, 100m fly and 200m individual medley (IM) events under CARIFTA and CCCAN qualifying times. He also had a CARIFTA qualifying time in the 100m breast.

“I’m pleased with the times and races that I swam. Some of the swims could have been better. I got to come here and swim in the long course pool to see where I am – see what needs to be fixed to make me better.”

Forbes was the only swimmer to go under a minute when he won the 100m fly in 56.76 seconds. Barracuda’s teammates Msanaa Bosland and Christian Carey were second and third respectively. Bosland swam 1:05.03 while Carey recorded a time of 1:09.36.

In the 50m breast, Forbes was quick, touching the wall in 31.21 seconds. His teammate Amari Hall came away with a second-place finish as he clocked 35.78 seconds. It was Alpha Aquatics Club’s Anthony Eccleston who was third with a time of 37.73 seconds.

Forbes touched the wall first in the 200m IM in 2:14.68. He finished ahead of second-place finisher Erald Thompson III who posted a time of 2:24.18. The Barracuda’s Christian Carey was third when he posted a time of 2:28.87.

In the 100m breast, Forbes won with a time of 1:09.39. Hall went on to finish second after he recorded a time of 1:22.09. Filling up the third position was Dinaj Major as he swam 1:34.59.

Mako’s Keianna Moss had a good meet also as she added three more CARIFTA qualifying times to the three she had already. She added the 50m fly, 100m free and 100m fly events in the 15-17 girls age group. She had already qualified in the 50m, 100m and 200m back races.

Moss and Mia Sastre finished first and second respectively in the 50m fly. Moss swam a quick 30.47 seconds to qualify for CARIFTA in that event. Sastre clocked 31.78 seconds. Finishing third was Moss’ teammate, Devin Cuffy-Bethel, who swam a time of 32.55 seconds.

In the 100m fly, Moss won with a time of 1:08.18 to finish ahead of Sastre again. Sastre, who swam unattached, posted a time of 1:12.60.

In the 100m free, Moss finished a close second behind Lyford Cay Swim Club’s Delaney Mizell, both qualifying. Mizell clocked 1:01.71 while Moss posted a time of 1:01.86. The Wave Runners’ Dedre Hiss was in third place with a time of 1:04.28.

Alpha’s Zaylie-Elizabeth Thompson was in the pool in the 15-17 girls 800m free, winning easily while achieving a CARIFTA qualifying time. Her time was 9:45.71. Thompson’s teammate Philena Style was a distant in 11:29.50. The Barracuda’s Chyme Higgs went on to finish third when she posted a time of 11:39.55.

Up next on the local swimming calendar is the Barracuda’s Open Water Swim Meet, set for this Saturday at the Long Wharf Beach at Arawak Cay.

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