Before Cayman’s World Championships team hit the water in Japan, there was a flurry of on-island racing to close out the season for the majority of the country’s swimmers at the 2023 Summer Finale meet, held 21-22 July at the Lions Aquatic Centre.
Nearly 60 swimmers ranging in age from 6 to 44 years old and representing the country’s three main swim teams – Stingray Swim Club, Camana Bay Aquatics Club, and Seven Mile Swimmers – took part in the meet over two sessions, on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
“The Summer Finale is an important meet and a great way to end the season,” said Kathy Jackson, vice president of the Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association.
Jackson, who is also the mother of Island Games medallists Sarah and Alison, explained that the competition was a “focus meet” for many on-island swimmers, as well as being a fun way to close out the season for many of those who have already competed overseas and important preparation for those yet to travel, such as Cayman’s team for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games next month.
“We have college swimmers home for the summer who train with their local clubs and then race in this meet – and to our younger swimmers, they are physical reminders of realised goals,” Jackson added. “[Cayman’s college swimmers] literally represent the ‘why we get up for training before school every morning’.”
As well as three-time Island Games gold medal winner Kyra Rabess, past and present college swimmers, including Sarah and Alison Jackson, Liam Henry, Krishna Adapa and Alex Dakers, were in attendance at the Lions Pool, alongside multiple CARIFTA medallists.
Stingray head coach Johanna Gustafsdottir echoed Jackson’s sentiment of the importance of the Cayman’s college swimmers to inspiring the country’s next generation, adding that the meet saw “a lot of personal best times around the board”.
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