Swimming Sensation Isabel Nicholas in full flight
Rising Swimmers Rewrite the Record Books
Vipers Pool, Langfords Antigua: While social media buzzed over IShowSpeed’s visit to Antigua this weekend, there was plenty of speed on display in the pool as well.
From Friday to Sunday, the 10th Wadadli Aquatic Racers Developmental Invitational Swim Meet brought together the nation’s fastest young talents—and they delivered in style.
Records fell, personal bests were achieved, and the next generation of Antiguan and Barbudan swimmers showed clear improvements in speed and performance across the board.
Several swimmers had already shown excellent form at the recent CARIFTA meet, and that momentum carried into another weekend of strong performances.
Among these were several from Vipers Swim Club with Madison MacMillan claiming a national record in the 50-metre backstroke.
Teammate Anya DeGannes set an age group record in the 200-metre freestyle, while Alessandro Bazzoni delivered a strong swim in the demanding 400-metre individual medley, earning another national age group record.
Their standout races were among many highlights of a competitive weekend in the pool.
But perhaps the most impressive set of results came from the young swimmer Isabel Nicholas of Wadadli Aquatic Racers, who delivered across multiple events.
She broke five national age group records—in the 50-metre butterfly, 100-metre butterfly, 100-metre backstroke, 200-metre backstroke, and 200-metre butterfly—showing major gains in speed across sprint and distance events.
Swimmers on the blocks
For coaches and supporters, the results were as rewarding as they were encouraging. Nelson Molina Fojo, head coach of Wadadli Aquatic Racers, expressed immense pride in all his swimmers’ performances and the many new personal bests achieved over the weekend.
He emphasized that success begins long before race day, explaining that athletes must first see it in their minds—training themselves to recognize opportunities instead of obstacles—before putting in the consistent hard work required to achieve their goals. That’s when their dreams will become reality.
That sentiment was echoed by the President of the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation, Edith Clashing, who praised the overall standard of the meet.
She noted that most swimmers improved their times—an encouraging sign as the season gains momentum. Just as importantly, she highlighted the pleasure of seeing new swimmers