Jamaica wins seven medals on CARIFTA Swimming Championships

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Jamaica won seven medals, including one gold, on Tuesday’s opening day of the 2016 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Martinique.

The swimmers also produced 24 personal best performances during the day.

Kelsie Campbell won Jamaica’s lone gold medal in the 15-17 girls 100-metre butterfly in 1:04.99.

Campbell’s teammate, Shaun Johnson, finished seventh in a personal best time of 1:06.78.

The last time a Jamaican won this event was in 2013 when the country hosted and Zara Bailey won in a time of 1:04.87.

Rajiv Redhi won Jamaica's first medal on the day, a silver in the 11 - 12 boys 200-metre breaststroke in a personal best time of 2:45.69.

It’s the first medal a Jamaican has won in this event since 2011 when Xavier Phillips won bronze.

Debutant Shaun Johnson also won a silver medal in the 15 - 17 girls 50-metre backstroke in a personal best time of 31.06. Angara Sinclair was fourth in 31.67s.

Keanan Dols, returning from a year-long break, was the silver medalist in the 15 - 17 boys 100-metre butterfly.

Dols, an Olympic hopeful, finished the race in 56.80. Jesse Marsh was eighth in 58.95. 

Dols also placed fourth in 15 - 17 boys 50-metre backstroke in 28.07.

Simone Vale won a bronze medal in the 11-12 girls’ 100-metre butterfly in 1:12.17, ending a prolonged medal drought for Jamaica in the event.

Vale’s teammate, Bryanna Renuart ended an even longer dry spell when she won the bronze medal in the girls 13-14 200-metre breaststroke in a time of 2:44:51.  

The last Jamaican to win a medal in the event was Gabrielle Hopkins, who won a silver in 2012 in 2:54.90.

Emily MacDonald won bronze in the 11 - 12 girls 50-metre backstroke in a personal best time of 33.46.

Meanwhile, Cameron Brown placed sixth in the 13 - 14 boys 200-metre breaststroke in a personal best time of 2:39.48 and Simone’s brother Nicholas Vale finished sixth in the 13 - 14 boys 100-metre butterfly in a personal best time of 1:00.57.