WILDEY, Barbados, CMC – Bahamian Lilly Higgs won her maiden CARIFTA gold, Aruba smashed their own girls 400 metres freestyle relay record and Damon St Prix produced a blistering final leg in the corresponding boys event to lift Barbados to a sensational victory, on an action-packed opening night of the 30th CARIFTA Swimming Championships here Saturday.
Higgs twice topped the podium in the 13-14 age group, capturing two of six gold medals for defending champions the Bahamas.
After winning her first medal – a bronze – in her second outing at CARIFTA level last year, Higgs scaled new heights in her fledgling career.
Swimming at the Barbados Aquatic Centre, she opened her account with victory in the 800 metres freestyle when she clocked nine minutes, 32.82 seconds to easily brush her aside her field.
She touched the wall well ahead of Florence Kock of Aruba who was timed at 9:40.61 and Jamaican Annabella Lyn, who was third in 9:41.98.
Higgs returned in the 200m breaststroke to also dominate, timed at 2:41.14 as she dismissed the challenge of Shne Joachim of St Vincent and the Grenadines who was second in 2:45.67.
