Matthews grabs OECS Gold medal

Teran Matthews emerged as this country’s top swimmer at the Sagicor OECS swimming championships held at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Center in St Lucia last weekend.

The experienced Matthews bagged five medals. She took gold in the 50M backstroke event. Matthews took silver in the 50M and 100M breaststroke and the 50M freestyle. Her other medal was achieved in 100M freestyle attaining a bronze.{{more}}

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ other medals came from another experienced swimmer Steve Wallace. He placed third in the men 18 over 100M breaststroke as well as the 100M freestyle and the 50M breaststroke.

Wallace, a member of this country’s team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney Australia and CAC Games in Colombia in July this year, is on a comeback trail.

It was a welcome return for the Vincentians who last participated in the 2003 championship.

The 26-member Vincentian contingent was drawn from the two swimming clubs here, Ricky’s Swimming Club and Vincy Sharks.

Rickydene Alexander of Ricky’s Swimming Club said that the championship was used to reignite the sport here and give many of the young swimmers an opportunity to compete in a 25M pool. He said it was an experience for many of the youngsters were having their first swim at that size pool. St Lucia is the only state in the OECS that has such a facility.

St Vincent and the Grenadines placed third of the four OECS countries. The championship was won by Grenada with the host second and Antigua and Barbuda fourth.

The four sub-regional states had added competition from French Caribbean neighbours Martinique.

St Lucia won the 2005 championship.