VIPERS POOL, LANGFORDS — The 10th Wadadli Aquatic Racers Developmental Invitational Swim Meet proved a landmark weekend for Antiguan and Barbudan competitive swimming, with multiple national records falling across three days of competition. According to Antigua News Room, the event, held from Friday to Sunday, brought together the nation's top young swimming talent — and they delivered outstanding results.
Records were broken, personal bests were achieved, and the next generation of Antiguan and Barbudan swimmers demonstrated clear improvements in both speed and performance across numerous events.
Several competitors had already shown strong form at the recent CARIFTA meet, and that momentum carried forward into another impressive weekend at the pool.
Among the standout performers were members of the Vipers Swim Club. Madison MacMillan claimed a national record in the 50-metre backstroke, while teammate Anya DeGannes set an age group record in the 200-metre freestyle. Alessandro Bazzoni also impressed, earning a national age group record in the demanding 400-metre individual medley.
However, the most remarkable individual performance of the weekend came from Isabel Nicholas of Wadadli Aquatic Racers. The young swimmer broke five national age group records across multiple events — the 50-metre butterfly, 100-metre butterfly, 100-metre backstroke, 200-metre backstroke, and 200-metre butterfly — demonstrating significant gains across both sprint and distance disciplines.
Nelson Molina Fojo, head coach of Wadadli Aquatic Racers, expressed immense pride in his swimmers' performances and the numerous personal bests recorded over the weekend. He emphasised that success begins well before race day, noting that athletes must first visualise achievement and train themselves to recognise opportunities rather than obstacles, before the consistent hard work required to reach their goals can translate into results.
Edith Clashing, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation, echoed that sentiment, praising the overall standard of the meet. She noted that most swimmers improved their times — an encouraging sign as the season builds momentum — and highlighted the added pleasure of seeing new swimmers participating and developing within the sport.
