The Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) is brimming with pride over the advances made in the discipline of artistic swimming.
For the first time, Jamaica was represented at the Junior and Youth International Open held in the United States and Nyouka Baugh and Sarah Anderson placed seventh and eighth in their respective categories at the United States-hosted event.
Baugh competed in the Nation Teams Division, while Anderson took part in the Club Division. A total of 26 teams from 19 countries participated and the ASAJ is delighted about the standards shown by its athletes on their first showing at the international level.
They are even more encouraged by the performances given the difficulties encountered due to limitations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. These included training opportunities and funding as access was basically cut off because their programmes have been at a virtual standstill for almost two years.
For the latter, they have expressed gratitude to their sponsors that included Eustace Lee and the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), as their input ensured participation, thus creating a platform for the sport’s growth.
“I do want to say special thanks to the Jamaica Olympic Association. It’s because of their funding why we were able to participate in this event,” said Maureen Smith, first Vice President, ASAJ.
The Junior and Youth International Open were held in Clearwater, Florida recently and Smith noted the importance of the event as competition for its athletes and rankings.
“Since the sport was first introduced to Jamaica in 1998, we have had many achievements at regional competitions and a few international invitationals and virtual events, but never had the opportunity to participate at this level,” Smith said. “These are the kinds of events that will help us improve our ranking.”
Supporting sporting athletes in all disciplines has been part of the JOA’s blueprint and Ryan Foster, JOA’s CEO and Secretary-General said they will continue that thrust.
“The JOA will continue to be expansive in our support to our member associations. We have 51 members and are all equal in the context of our vision for sports development in Jamaica and will be given equal opportunities to achieve. Achievements are not only characterized by medals won, but also the sacrifices that have been made by our men and women to not only represent their brand, but their country as well,” Foster said.
“The support of the artistic swimming team is well within the context of our ‘Sport-for-All’ mandate and the achievements of Sarah and Nyouka are well documented. We are extremely proud of Maureen and Martin (Lyn) in the work being done by the ASAJ to grow the sport in Jamaica.
“Our recent investment of around $1 million in the artistic swimming team has already paid dividends and investments in the next generation of swimmers will be a part of the ‘Sport for All’ initiative for France 2024."
Lyn, the ASAJ President, expressed pleasure at gains made by the sport.
“As president, I'm really proud that we are attending international events like this, it goes a long way in developing our programme,” he said. “I'm very proud that another discipline of aquatics is on the up and up because we finished seventh and eighth. The fact is that we were still way up there in achievements ... finishing seventh and eighth out of 19 countries is quite remarkable.”
Commenting on support, Lyn commended the National Olympic Committee, saying: “We just really appreciate the help from the JOA. Even though at this time it is a minor discipline, Jamaica has the potential to grow ... the only way you're able to grow is if the younger swimmers are given opportunities to improve.”
He added: “The funds from the JOA allowed us to send two coaches, including a junior coach and she, in the learning curve will make another coach in the programme going forward. It’s important for the transference of knowledge, she will be another coach to help in developing talent.”
Lyn noted that swimming’s talent pool had diminished, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic as “a lot of parents have withdrawn their children from aquatics because parents want to keep their children safe”.
Additionally, the competition involves much synchronisation and close routines, which were impacted by distancing in training, with many of the routines practised on land because instructions cannot be given while they are underwater.
“It's a practical approach that a lot of movement and placing has to be done on land,” said Lyn, noting the way it has added to their feeling of accomplishment.
Smith says they are looking to go further.
“We don't intend to stop here as our ultimate goal is to get to the World Championships and, of course, Olympics,” she said. “But it will require a collective effort to get there.”
Adam Peaty says winning gold medals will not fix all his problems
Adam Peaty insisted adding more gold medals to his already bulging collection would not be the cure-all to his struggles.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist withdrew from the British Swimming Championships last month after citing mental health issues and later admitted he had been on a “self-destructive spiral”.
Peaty has spoken previously about periods of depression and problems with alcohol, which he admits worsened last year as he struggled with injury, motivation and the breakdown of his relationship with the mother of his young son.
He remains hopeful of heading to the Paris Olympics next year as he looks for a third straight title in the men’s 100 metres breaststroke but was adamant that doing so would not be a silver bullet for him.
“A good friend of mine said a gold medal is the coldest thing you will ever wear,” Peaty told BBC Breakfast.
“It’s the coldest thing because you think it will fix all of your problems. It will not.
“I took a break because I was on this endless search of a gold medal or a world record and I looked into the future and I said ‘OK, if I do get that is my life fixed or any better?’ No.
“So take the time now to really think about who you are, what you want out of life and then get the gold medal.
“Hopefully when I get to the Olympics I will be in a very good mindset, very grateful and most importantly happy.”
Artistic Swim VP lauds young team on 25-medal haul, optimistic about sport's continued growth locally
Robyn Chin Sang, the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) vice-president with responsibility for artistic swimming, believes the performance of the country's young stars at the recently-concluded Worldwide Invitational Meet augurs well for the continued growth and development of the sport locally.
Chin Sang's pride was very evident, as she reflected on the manner in which a 18-member team from the Island Aquatics Synchro club, displayed their prowess among more illustrious competitors from various countries, in Coral Springs, Florida.
The athletes accompanied by two coaches and one official, secured 25 medals ---15 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze ---bettering the 10 won by an eight-member team last year.
"The competition was much harder this year, as we had more competitors from different clubs and countries and more advance swimmers. So, it wasn't easy, but our girls did very well in putting the winnings in the bag and embodied the through Jamaican spirit of little but tallawah," Chin Sang said.
She pointed out that attending events like these are vital to the sport's continued development as they introduce younger athletes, in particular, to different levels of competition. However, the fact that the team had to conduct fundraisers to pay their way didn't escape her and she is now optimistic that their performances will assist in getting corporate Jamaica on board with the sport.
Artistic swimming, previously known as synchronised swimming, requires athletes to perform coordinated or identical movements in time to music, with performances lasting several minutes.
"These competitions give the girls the experience and drive to continue in the sport and encourage them to keep working hard to get to the new level that they witnessed on international stage like these.
"So, we are very proud of the way they held their own and ensured the country's flag kept flying high. All 18 athletes returned with at least one medal, all our girls placed in their routines and eight of them placed in figures. In addition to that, they had four awards for placing in top 12 in figures, as well as three best figures titles in three different age categories," Chin Sang shared.
"The success of the team will have a greater impact not only on the athletes but also on the wider Jamaican community. We will have more swimmers being interested in the sport and hopefully more sponsorship will come on board from the corporate companies to help the growth of the sport and its athletes," she added.
On that note, Chin Sang lauded the unwavering efforts of Coach Olga Novokshchenova and her Island Aquatics family for their dedication to assisting the athletes by providing the training and opening up the possibility to take part in global artistic swimming competitions.
"We will continue to train for our next local competition, to take place on a date to be confirmed and then we will go from there. But the aim is always to give off our best for the athletes," she ended.
Bahamas swimming star Joanna Evans to appeal two-year anti-doping ban before CAS - "I am broken, devastated."
Bahamian swimming star Joanna Evans intends to appeal before the Court of Arbitration, a decision by the FINA Doping Panel to ban her from the sport for two years after she tested positive for Clostebol. The decision was handed down on February 15, 2023.
She will do so, she said, with the support of the Bahamas Aquatic Federation, her family, coaches, friends and community.
Clostebol is a synthetic anabolic–androgenic steroid and is the 4-chloro derivative of the natural hormone testosterone. The chlorination prevents conversion to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) while also rendering the chemical incapable of conversion to estrogen.
A multiple CAC Games gold medalist and two-time Olympian, the 25-year-old Evans claims in a recent lengthy and emotional post on Instagram that she would never knowingly use a banned substance, adding that the situation has put her in a constant state of distress.
“Anyone who knows me, knows without hesitation that I would never, ever intentionally take a banned substance,” she said.
“The results show an unfathomable low amount of the substance which absolutely could not have enhanced my performance.”
Evans said she was tested in Austin, Texas on December 3, 2021 and was “stunned” when she was informed over the phone that her sample contained a banned substance.
She explained how she believes she came to test positive saying that while attending a meet in Naples, Italy on September 11, 2021, she cut her finger on a “jagged, rusty balcony” at the hotel where she was staying.
“Concerned about infection, I walked to a nearby pharmacy and asked for an antibiotic cream,” she said.
“I was given a tube of Trofodermin, which I believed was similar to the antibiotic Neomycin. Unknown to me at the time, an ingredient of Trofodermin is the banned substance Clostebol.”
She used the cream for three days.
On her return to Austin on October 30, 2021, she slipped on a concrete pavement and sustained a substantial gash on her knee. She used the same cream she bought in Italy. She said she used the cream for five days and then once or twice a week until the end of November that year.
A distraught Evans stated that life has been difficult since she received news of her positive test.
“Since my test result, I have been unable to function. I am broken and devastated as swimming has been my life for many years,” she said while reiterating that she is not a drug cheat.
“I would never cheat and I take pride in representing my country, college, family, friends and community to the best of my ability.
“I have a history of dozens of clean tests and conduct myself with integrity in all aspects of my life. I find it incredulous that a miniscule amount of a banned substance applied unknowingly through a topical cream can have such life-altering consequences.”
As such, Evans has hired a “specialist attorney” in this field to represent me in legal proceedings to defend my integrity and the reputation of Bahamas swimming.
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