By Travis Seymour
Guyana’s top female swimmer, Aleka Persaud, faced a challenging start at the 2024 World Aquatics Championship in Doha, Qatar, finishing outside the top three in her first race.
In Heat 4 of the competition, Persaud placed 8th, with Maria Fernandez from the Dominican Republic securing first place in 1 minute 01.03 seconds, followed by Riley Miller from the US Virgin Islands in second with 1 minute 01.08 seconds, and Mia Lee from Guam in third with 1 minute 01.22 seconds.
Persaud, aged 17, completed the race in 1 minute and 02.20 seconds, falling short of her national record of one minute and 67 seconds.
Despite this setback, Persaud, who represented Guyana in the 50-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics, is set to compete again on Saturday.
She is expected to perform better in the 50-meter freestyle event, where she currently holds the national record with a time of 27.42 seconds.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Raekwon Noel secured victory in his heat of the 100-meter freestyle, overcoming competitors from Papua New Guinea and Bhutan.
Although he was off his personal best of 51.98 seconds, which also stands as the national record in the 100-freestyle, Noel expressed his satisfaction with his performance.
He emphasized the importance of the championship in his pursuit of qualifying for the upcoming Olympic Games later this year.
Noel’s next challenge will be in the 100-butterfly event, where he aims to execute his race strategy and further hone his skills.
Both Persaud and Noel earned their spots in the World Aquatics Championship through wild card qualifications, representing Guyana on the international stage.
As the championship progresses, both athletes remain determined to showcase their talents and represent Guyana with pride.