Van Lange is top performer at Goodwill Games swimming trials

Goodwill Games gold medallist Britany van Lange on Sunday qualified for two more events at the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Goodwill Games trials held at Castellani Pool, Homestretch Avenue.

Britany van Lange

Van Lange emerged as the top performer after securing qualifying times for seven events in the upcoming Goodwill Games which will be held in Suriname from 13 – 15 August.

Ronaldo Rodrigues and Serrano Gonsalves made the qualifying times for four events.

Van Lange, who participates in the 13 – 14 category, made Goodwill `B’ qualifying times in the 100m freestyle (1:06.20), 50m freestyle (30.57 seconds), 50m butterfly (34.72 seconds)and the 50m breaststroke (41.98) races.

She also made the Goodwill Games `A’ qualifying time for the 100m butterfly event by clocking one minute, 19.97 seconds.

Earlier this year she qualified for the 200m freestyle when she swam Goodwill ‘A’ qualifying time of two minutes, 20.32 seconds at a GASA meet. Rodrigues, who will compete in the 13 -14 category, qualified with Goodwill Games ‘B’ times for the 50m butterfly (29.84 seconds) 50m breaststroke (34.67 seconds), 100m breaststroke (1:16.81) and Goodwill ‘A’ time in the 100m butterfly clocking one minute and 9.08 seconds. Also qualifying with Goodwill Games ‘B’ times in the 50m butterfly (30.43) and 100m butterfly (1:10.93) was the 14-year-old Gonsalves who also earned the right to participate in the 100m backstroke (1:10.20), and had Goodwill Games ‘A’ time in the 50m backstroke (31.38).

Gonsalves also registered new seed times in the 50m butterfly, while Rodrigues registered a minor victory in the 100m freestyle when, despite not qualifying for the event, he reconfigured his seed time to one minute, 0.72 seconds.

Soroya Simmons competing in the 13-14 category had a Goodwill Games B’ time in the 100m backstroke of 1.19.48 and a Goodwill Games ‘A’ time in the 50m backstroke of 35.09 seconds. Simmons also chronicled a new seed in the 50m butterfly event of 37.92.

Other swimmers making Goodwill Games `B’ qualifying times included Steffi DeNobrega in the 50m breaststroke (42 seconds), Kevon DeMoura in the 50m breaststroke (33.63) and Shaqueel Amin who qualified for the 50m freestyle (29.84) on Saturday.

DeNobrega and DeMoura participate in the 15 – 17 years age category while Amin participates in the 11 – 12 years age category.

Although they did not participate in the trials, Athena Gaskin and Noelle Smith had previously qualified for the games in events earlier this year.

Athena Gaskin

In the 13 – 14 age group category, Gaskin qualified for the 200m IM when she swam the Goodwill Games `A’ qualifying time of two minutes and 46.14 seconds while Smith, who competes in the 15-17 years category, had qualified to participate in the 50m butterfly by clocking 32.64s.

The Goodwill Games is an annual event where four countries – Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Barbados – participate in swimming events. The games feature five categories for swimmers 17 years and under, beginning with the eight-and-under category.