Thursday, February 15, 2024
By TENAJH SWEETING
Tribune Sports Reporter
tsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE World Aquatics Championships saw all of Team Bahamas’ swimmers in action yesterday in the mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.
Marvin Johnson also competed in the men’s 100m freestyle in Doha, Qatar. The 18-year-old hit the waters in heat eight out of 12 for the event.
Swimming out of lane six, he had the third fastest time in the heat with 51.01 seconds. He split times of 24.78 and 26.23 to culminate the race at 51.01 seconds. Out of the 12 heats, Johnson ended ranked 42nd out of 108 competitors. The event’s finals are scheduled for today.
The quartet of Lamar Taylor (backstroke), Rhan-ishka Gibbs (breaststroke), Johnson (butterfly) and Victoria Russell (freestyle) concluded the 4x100m mixed relay event ranked 24th out of 32 competitors.
Taylor got things started for The Bahamas with times of 27.36 seconds and 29.46 seconds. Gibbs took over and totalled times of 33.06 seconds and 39.36 seconds. Johnson split times of 25.66 seconds and 31.28 seconds and Russell clocked 28.28 seconds and finally 32.45 seconds to complete the relay at 4:06.91.
Team Bahamas will resume competing on Friday. Taylor, who won bronze at the Pan Am Games, is set to swim in the men’s 50m freestyle and men’s 50m backstroke on Friday and Saturday respectively. Johnson and Russell will also take the waters on Friday.
The Commonwealth Youth Games silver medal-list will swim in the men’s 100m butterfly.
Meanwhile, Russell will join competitors in the women’s 50m butterfly. Her final event will be the women’s 50m breaststroke on Saturday. Gibbs will wrap up the World Aquatics Championships in the women’s 50m freestyle.
The four-member team got their stint at the World Championships which started on Sunday.
Taylor finished 40th overall in the men’s 50m butterfly with a time of 24.85 seconds. The 17-year-old Gibbs ranked 38th in the women’s 100m breast-stroke. She clocked 1:12.27.
Russell is the lone competitor waiting to swim in an individual event.
The World Aquatics Championships serves as a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Team Bahamas is coached by Camron Bruney and Gena Culmer-Taylor serves as the team manager. The swimming segment of the championships concludes on February 18.
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