Saint Lucia’s Sapphire Park makes Golden debut at CARIFTA, wins 8 medals including 4 gold

Saint Lucia's Sapphire Park turned out to be a standout performer at the CARIFTA Aquatic Championships, held at the Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago. The swimmer claimed around 8 medals in total, including, 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze respectively. 

Her remarkable performance was a crucial factor in boosting Saint Lucia’s medal count to 16 after the conclusion of the competition. Her medals also earned her the high point trophy in her division, (11-12 girls). This remarkable performance by the athlete also helped her finish strong at the CARIFTA Aquatic Championship. Saint Lucia amassed a total of 16 medals, including 6 gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze, securing 148 points to finish 10th overall.

Sapphire Park’s magical debut 

Sapphire Park secured both a silver and bronze medal on the opening day of her CARIFTA debut. She later claimed her first-ever gold medal in the 11-12 Girls’ 100m backstroke with a time of 1:10.76. She followed that achievement with another gold medal in the 400m individual medley, clocking a time of 5:37.47. Parks also rounded out her remarkable haul with a bronze medal in the 200m freestyle, clocking a time of 2:20.91. 

The Saint Lucian Prime Minister, Philip Pierre also congratulated Park for her outstanding performance and described her as a source of inspiration and motivation for all those who aspires to represent Saint Lucia on an international platform. 

Total medals earned by Sapphire Park 

·         Gold Medal: 100m Backstroke, 400m Individual Medley, 200m Butterfly, 200m Backstroke.

·         Silver Medal: 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley.

·         Bronze Medal: 200m Freestyle, 200m Breaststroke.

The other medals earned by Saint Lucian athletes at CARIFTA Aquatic Championship include

·         Antoine Destang: Silver in the 100m Butterfly, Bronze in the 100 Freestyle, and 200m Freestyle Relay.

·         Tristan Dorville: Bronze in the 50 Butterfly, 50 Freestyle, and 200 Freestyle Relay.

·         Karic Charles and Ethan Hazell: Bronze medal in the 200m Freestyle Relay. This marks the first time that Saint Lucian athlete has medalled in the event at the CARIFTA Championships. 

Saint Lucia to host 40th CARIFTA Aquatic Championships

The Ministry of Youth, Development and Sports of Saint Lucia has expressed excitement towards hosting the 40th edition of the CARIFTA Aquatic Championship. They highlighted about the work progressing at the National Aquatic Centre in Beausejour, Gros Islet. They added that all these advancements are a testament to their commitment to make significant investments in the future of sports of Saint Lucia. 

The CARIFTA Aquatics Championship is an international age-group competition that brings together athletes from across the Caribbean to compete in various aquatic disciplines.