Kyra Rabess took first place in record time at the annual CIASA National 5K Open Water Swimming Championships, held on Saturday, 19 Feb.
Rabess, 17, of Stingray Swim Club, crossed the finish line at Governors Beach in 1:00:21, the fastest time recorded by any female swimmer for the Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association event.
“The whole swim was really good actually. I liked the conditions that we all swam in,” Rabess told the Cayman Compass. “I took the lead from the start and was swimming at [a] good pace.”
Rabess last competed in the national 5K championships in 2020, where she placed third overall in a time of 1:01.52.
She dropped that time by one minute and 31 seconds over the weekend, besting 32 other swimmers, including Will Sellars in second place and Jasmine Lambert-Wragg in third.
Her performance also qualified her for the upcoming 2022 CARIFTA Swimming Championships.
“I felt good winning,” she said. “I didn’t think I could win an open water event, especially getting chased down by Will.”
The CIASA National Championships are scheduled to take place early next month at the Camana Bay Aquatic Centre, where swimmers will be racing to meet qualifying standards for the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, being held in Barbados from 16-20 April.
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