Willoughby, Chung lead Jamaica’s Goodwill Swim Champs charge
Published:Sunday | August 20, 2023 | 12:13 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
JAMAICA’S JULIAN Willoughby and Renae Chung are leading the country’s charge for championship glory at the ongoing Goodwill Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre following strong performances on day two.
Willoughby’s performances have been staggering, the swimmer already up to seven medals, five of them gold and another two silver. Throw five records into the mix, the most satisfying of those coming in the 100-metre freestyle.
“The most satisfying record was the 100-metre freestyle because I think it was the biggest record I broke. For me to drop two and a half seconds was really impressive,” Willoughby told The Sunday Gleaner.
“Our captains and our young swimmers are all trying to bring the vibes as we are all trying to support each other and cheer each other on. It’s a pretty good vibe and we are hoping to win the championships,” he added.
Chung was also in the thick of things, racking up six medals, standing at the top of the podium twice and mining silver on four occasions.
Like, Willoughby, Chung is also impressed with the support that has been coming from within the team.
“This Goodwill Swimming Championships has been both good and fun as I’ve been doing a lot of personal best times and I’m proud of myself. We’re trying to encourage each other to do our best and try to aim for the championship title,” said Chung.
Jamaica will enter today’s third and final day of competition in second place on 785.5 points behind leaders Bahamas, who are on 993.5 points. Trinidad and Tobago are third with 645, while Barbados on 523 and Suriname on 380 round out the top five spots.
Gillian Millwood, head coach of the Jamaican team, said while she saw some nervousness from the swimmers initially, they were coming into their own as the competition progresses.
“I’m very pleased with how they’re performing and stepping up. I think the team had a pretty good time with the 4x100-metre relays today. Some persons still have a bit of nerves on the big stage but that comes with experience, which is what a lot of them are getting now,” said Millwood.
The Bahamas have a big 208-point lead heading into the final day but Millwood says she will not focus on that.
“Bahamas have been training since April, which is a beautiful thing for them, so right now we’re just focused on us. We got a couple of disqualification and it’s not because of what the swimmers don’t know but, in the moment, they’re just so hyped up to perform well in front of friends and family.”
The championships resumes today at 9:00 a.m.