LONDON, CMC – Trinidadian George Bovell, the only Caribbean athlete in action yesterday, produced a strong performance to qualify for Friday’s final of the men’s 50 metres freestyle here at the 30th Olympiad.
Bovell booked his place in the medal event by finishing second in his semi-final heat in a time of 21.77 seconds.
Brazilan Bruno Fratus touched the wall first in 21.63 while Frenchman Florent Manaudou Bovell was second in 21.80.
The 29-year Bovell will enter the final with the fifth fastest time behind American Cullen Jones and Brazilian Cesar Cielo, both with 21.54; Anthony Ervin also of the USA (21.62) and Fratus.
After several disappointments in the pool, Bovell’s campaign in the 50m freestyle is being now being viewed as the Caribbean’s best hope for a medal in the water.
He pulled out of Tuesday’s 100m freestyle to focus his attention and energy on this his pet event.
Earlier in the morning preliminaries, Bovell also recorded 21.77 to win heat six, with American Anthony Ervin second in 21.83 and Russia’s Andrey Grechin third in 22.09 seconds.
On Friday, meanwhile, Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace of the Bahamas and Karin O’Reilly of Antigua and Barbuda, will contest the heats of the women’s 50m freestyle.
