COLE BAY—Thirteen year old Naima Dessout, from the Carib Swim Team, was the only swimmer, to win all six races she competed in during the Last-chance Qualifier Meet at the Cole Bay pool over the weekend.
Carib Swim Team hosted the two-day meet which was attracted 106 swimmers from four swim teams: including Carib Swim Team (CST), The Sharks Swim Team (Sharks), Super Splash Swim Team (SSST) and Tous a l’Ô.
The meet was called the ‘Last-chance Qualifier’ as it was the fifth and final meet for which times will be accepted for swimmers wishing to be selected for the national squad. The four previous qualifying meets this season, all held in 2015 were CST Fall meet (September), SSST meet and Dolphins’ meet in Aruba (both in November) and St Bart’s Coupe de Noel (December).
A total of 48 events were swum over the two days in various distances from 25m to 400m, in all four strokes and individual medley.
Each swimmer could swim three races each day. Of the younger swimmers who joined the second day, 6-year old Maxime Gibbs (CST), 8-year old Matias Piazza (CST) and 10 year-old Sacha Gibbs (CST) won all three of their races.
The St. Maarten Aquatics Federation (SMAF) will now analyze the results of all qualifying meets to select a national squad of 36 swimmers who will attend the Carifta Games in Martinique March 2016. The squad will be mixed, girls and boys and divided into three age categories: 11-12, 13-14 and 15-17 years of age. This will be the first time St. Maarten swimmers will represent the country since 10 October 2010.
