Point Fortin Aqua Darts’ Darren Belfon splashed to gold in the boys’ 13-14 50m butterfly final in a Carifta A qualifying time of 26.54 seconds on day two of the National Long Course Age Group Championships on Thursday.

At the National Aquatic Centre in Balmain, Couva, Belfon, who had qualified for Thursday’s medal race in an even faster time of 26 seconds flat, continued his dominant run of form to claim top honours. The Carifta A standard in this event is 26.63s.

Brandon Balfour (27.45s) of Flying Fish was second and Christiano Rivas (27.96s) of RTST followed in third.

On Wednesday, Marlins swimmer Nikoli Blackman also earned a Carifta A time when he touched the wall first in eight minutes, 44.97 seconds (8:44.97) in the boys’ 15-17 800m freestyle qualifying event. In the process, he dipped below the A standard of 8:53.83.

Coming in second was club-mate Zachary Anthony, who bettered the Carifta B standard of 9:10.16, with his 9:.05.06 performance. Another Marlins swimmer, Josiah Changar, was third in 9:54.04.

So far, only Belfon and Blackman have attained Carifta A standards.

Also achieving Carifta B standards in varying events were Belfon (13-14 50m back), Blackman (15-17 50m fly, 100m free), RWB Aquatic Academy 's Anpherne Bernard (13-14 200m breast) and Marlins’ Liam Carrington (13-14 50m back, 100m free, 400m individual medley).

In other 50m fly medal races on Thursday, Isabella Mendoza (EASC) won gold in the girls’ 13-14 division in 31.72s, ahead of PBSC silver medallist Siena Jagdeo (32.32s) and third-placed RWB’s Anya Davis (32.71s).

Barracudas’ Asia-Marie Pouchet was golden in the 11-12 girls’category in 33.40s. She defeated Marlins’ Zara Persico (33.96s) and EASC’s Harmoni Nelson (34.22s).

The male equivalent saw TSSC’s Aaron Siewlal top the field in 31.50s ahead of Flying Fish’s runner-up Shian Griffith (32.20s) and RWB bronze medallist Kyle Leera (34.18s).

Also, Blackman was victorious in the boys’ 15-17 50m fly in 25.53s, a Carifta B standard, while unattached swimmer Amari Ash won the girls’ equivalent in 29.78s.

And in the final set of 50m fly medal races, unattached Christian Awah (24.55) swam to gold in the boys’ 18 and over while Flying Fish’s Chazzane Charles (31.38s) copped the female event.

The post Darren Belfon wins 50m fly, earns Carifta A standard appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.