CONGRATULATIONS: High marks for returning JAMAICA's Carifta swimmers with their 25-medal haul included eight gold, nine silver and eight bronze,

 BY SHERDON COWAN Observer staff reporter cowans@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, March 30, 2016   

After braving four days of intense competition at the recently concluded 31st Carifta Swimming Championships in Martinique, Jamaica’s young swimmers deserve every bit of commendation.

The 20-member team produced a number of outstanding performances and personal best times, including long-standing meet and national age-group records, as they did just enough to equal last year’s medal tally.

Jamaica's Swimmers at 2016 Carifta Game

Their 25-medal haul included eight gold, nine silver and eight bronze, which placed them fifth in the standings based on the quality of medals, but sixth overall.

The team arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday where they revelled in the accolades after being received by the Sports Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange. The team was led by the prowess of overseas-based Kelsie Campbell, who introduced herself to the Jamaican aquatic family with seven medals, which comprised three gold and four silver. Keanan Dols led the boys with five medals, inclusive of three gold, one silver, and one bronze.

Campbell’s four silver medals came in the relays, while Dols’ lone bronze medal came in the 4x200m freestyle relay, and the four others were individual events as he brought the curtains down on a successful Carifta career.

Olivia Grange (centre), Minister of Sports shares a photo
 opportunity with ASAJ president Handel Lamey (left) and
members of the Carifta swim team after their arrival
 at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.

Dols stole the spotlight on the third day of the meet when he clocked a fast 2:07.80 minutes in the preliminary round of the Boys’ 15-17 200-metre individual medley, setting a new Carifta record in the process. e erased the previous 12-year-old record of 2:08.15 minutes held by Bradley Ally of Barbados.

However, he returned later in superb fashion to lower his own record in the event, clocking a blistering 2:07.27 minutes on his way to victory and mining the first gold medal of the evening. And if that was not enough to impress those in the aquatic arena, the smooth-stroking Dols again showed his class in the 200-metre backstroke where he clocked in at 2:07.26 minutes to erase the old record of 2:07.48 set by Olympian Brett Fraser of the Cayman Islands. more