Video/Photos: Carifta Swim Team Arrive Home
The Bermuda National swimming team — and their 12 medals — returned to Bermuda this evening [Apr.17] from the 2012 Carifta Swimming Championships in the Bahamas. A large group of family and friends gathered at the airport to welcome the team home with signs, flags and loud cheers.
Acting Sports Minister Zane Desilva, Junior Sports Minister Senator Diallo Rabain, Terry Lister, Kim Swan, Charlie Swan and Ray Charlton were on hand to welcome home the team whose exceptional performance earned a dozen medals in total; six gold, three silver and three bronze.
In addition to the impressive medal haul, the nine-strong swimming team set 51 personal best times, 16 age group records and 1 national record.
Jesse Washington was the superstar of the Games – winning a total of seven medals, was awarded the 11&12 Swimmer of the Meet and had the most points of any swimmer in the meet. His family surprised him with a ride home in a car decorated with ribbons.
The 12-year-old Sandys Middle School student won an incredible five gold medals; 50m Butterfly, 100m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle. Washington also won silver in the 50m Backstroke and bronze in the 400m Freestyle.
12-year-old Shannon Hassell also had an exceptional performance, bringing three medals back to Bermuda. She won gold in the 200m Backstroke, silver in the 100 Backstroke and bronze in the 50m Backstroke.
17-year-old swimmers Ashley Yearwood and Benedict Parfitt then took Bermuda’s medal tally up to 12, with Ashley Yearwood winning bronze in the 50m Freestyle and Benedict Parfit claiming silver in the 50m Freestyle.
The nine member Bermuda swimming team had strong performances all around, with 17-year-old Nic Patterson just missing a medal place, with a 4th place finish in the 200m Butterfly final with a time of 2:15.36.
17-year-old Katrina Beveridge represented Bermuda in three backstroke events, while 12-year-old Aaron Rego made his first Carifta appearance, and lowered his personal best time in 100m Freestyle by 8 seconds clocking 1:11:92
15-year-old Philip Hagen also lowered his personal best, competing in the 400m freestyle. He finished off his Carifta by breaking 28 seconds for the first time in the 50m Freestyle with a time of 27:83
The youngest member of the team — 11-year-old Madelyn Moore — set a number of personal bests in her first Carifta Games appearance. She dropped 3 seconds from her personal best in the 100m Freestyle to finish in 12th place, swam a personal best of 30:39 in the 50m freestyle taking 12th, and in the 200 backstroke she dropped 7 seconds of her personal best.
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Well done guys keep up the good work!
1st!!!!!!!! Jesse looks like a Rap Star with all that Bling!!!!!!!!!!
One young man wins 5 medals – almost as many as the entire track and field team combined!!! Hmmmm, I think we need to be putting more money behind swimming!
These young people are going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Congratulations to all of them!
The way I read it is that one Young Man Has Won 7 Medals !!! One more than the entire track and field team combined . Come on Bermuda it is evident that there is tremendous talents in every sport , it is the hard work and determination of the individual and the respective coachs that produce results . Let us now support our youth with the cash and absolute drive that it takes to succeed on the international level . Oh and did I mention CASH .
Apples and oranges my freind. Jamaica anually produce some of the finest track and field athletes in the world, particularly over the shorter distances. As do the Bahmamas and Trinidad & Tobago. The Caribbean is not known for producing Top swimmers!!!
And while I along with most Bermudians applaud the accompishments of all of our athletes, let’s keep this in perspective.
@ Simon . AS you write your drivel there is a world class Trinidadian swimmer vying to medal in London . If following your way of thinking the Caribbean nations would still be looking at America as the sprint superpower . Apples & Oranges my friend , the Jamaican bobsled team comes to mind . Simon you are not simple , just a bit self defeating .
Nothing like a GREAT PHOTO OP so close to the election. Well done team Bermuda! Now Ben you need to see if Government will show you the money and help out this great achievement with future grants.
Pull the cash from the sports which do not produce starting with soccer & cricket. Why should all male sports get the lions share of grant money anyhow? Don’t females pay taxes too????
Again–put this into persepctive! The where competing in the Cariibean in swimming NOT TRACK & Field!!!
Simon, I agree. Lets really put this nto perspective. Every swimmer can run, but not every runner can swim.
Don’t see swimming as a girls sport you must not be feeling well today.
LOL
Jesse Washington is a “beast “. Shannon Hassle is a “beauty “. You have made Bermuda, your team, your dedicated coach Ben Smith, and your families very proud. We will be looking out for both of you @ Olympics 2016.
And the 50 metre pool they are building at the National Sports Centre cannot be used for Swimming Carifta Games or any other major events BECAUSE it has NO warm up pool which is REQUIRED and was RECOMMEDED BY BASA….
Congradulations to the team well done.
So where’s your boy hi liter (hail Hitlar) now. Oh to many whites in this sport for him right????
LOL calling them out…………
Wonder how much $upport the PLP Government gives to these talented kids.
These kids deserve some recognition for all their achievments. Dont take the joy out of it. Keep the politics for another day. I agree with you about the pool, but lets focus on these fantastic swimmers . We could all do with some good news for once.
I can’t stop thinking about Clarence Hill, Bermuda’s only Olympic Medalist. I know it was a long time ago, but can we do something to honour him even now.
Good job swimmers. Too bad about the pool. Is there room for a warm up pool?