Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Story by: Nigel Simon
T&T swimmer George Bovell III picked up where he left off before the Carnival break with another golden swim on Saturday in Madrid, Spain. After claiming three gold medals in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in January, the 27-year-old Bovell returned to competitive action by successfully defending the men’s 50-metre freestyle title at the Spanish Spring Nationals Swimming Meet on Friday’s first night of finals. The Athens Greece, Olympic Games 200m individual medley bronze medallist, behind Americans Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, won the dash in 22.38 seconds ahead of Javier Noriega, on 22.76, the bronze going to Eloi Saumell, on 22.87.
Last year Bovell III went a bit faster when he won in 20.35. Bovell III who is working with his coach of many moons ago, Anil Roberts, the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs was happy about repeating as champion despite going into the meet exhausted from weeks of hard training and a long trip. “I punched in a time of 22.38 which is good, but honestly I have been 22.3 many times before” said Bovell III. “I like to think that this time is a good indicator of faster swims to come because it came with no rest. Looking ahead to his next assignment in Holland, the former Auburn University swimmer said he intended to be 2/10 of a second faster next week in Eindhoven at the Eindhoven International Swim cup. “But little by little, one victory at a time. I will take it, a win is a win,” he added. Yesterday he was expected to do some sightseeing in Madrid before moving onto Holland.