The Mini-Swim Meet between Dorado Speed Swim Club and Silver Sharks Aquatic Club held on Friday at Colgrain Pool was dominated by the youngest competitors of the two clubs.
The event was organised after the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) called off its January 25 event because of non-participation by the Orca Speed Swim and Dolphin Swim Clubs.
The meet, which ushered in the start of the year-long friendly meets among local clubs, saw Dorado’s Daniel Scott, competing in the eight years and under age group, being named overall champion of the meet.
Scott secured the top points based on the Hy Tek age group points system.
He was awarded the overall championship trophy for being the swimmer to score the highest points from among all of the age groups in at least two events.
The pint-sized Scott, who had a taste of international swimming at the Goodwill championships held in Georgetown last year, secured 686 points in the 50-yard free style event (where he clocked 37.24s) 684 points in the 50-yard breaststroke event (47.29s) 642 points in the 50-yard backstroke event (43.84s) and 513 points in the 50-yard butterfly event (45.54s).
The two highest points in at least two events were used to award the championship.
The maximum score in an event was 1100.
Scott was the only swimmer to secure scores over 500 in the 25-yard Colgrain Swimming Pool.
Also outstanding were seven-year-olds Sarah King and Alyssa Nurse swimming in the eight and under age group with both doing well in the 50-yard freestyle and 50-yard backstroke.
Six-year-old Nkosi Beaton of Silver Sharks, swimming in the eight and under age group, was among the top 10 performers in the 50-yard freestyle event.
Stephen King of Dorado in the nine to 10 age group 50-yard freestyle and Britany van Lange and Soroya Simmons, in the 11 to 12, 50-yard freestyle event were outstanding.
Athena Gaskin in the 13 to 14 age group performed creditably in the 50-yard freestyle as did Noelle Smith in the 15 to 17 girls’ age group, 50-yard breaststroke.
Niall Roberts of Dorado, swimming in the 15 to 17 years age group, had the second highest scores in the Hy Tek points system based on his performance in the butterfly, freestyle and back stroke events while Alan Lowe was the most outstanding swimmer in the boys’ 18-years-old and over backstroke event.
The developmental meet was organised with the aim of getting swimmers to understand the Hy Tek points system introduced by FINA (the international swimming federation) as a first step to being able to evaluate their own progress, executive member of the Dorado Speed Swim Club, Dr Karen Pilgrim explained.
In the Hy Tek points system each swimmer is assigned a points value that allows for comparison of the quality of performances across strokes, distances and events, as well as age groups.
All participants received certificates of participation.
