Bovell Feted as Trinidad’s Top Swimmer

ST. JOSEPH, Trinidad, December 25. AS expected, Trinidad and Tobago's top international swimmer, George Bovell III, was last night named the Swimmer of the Year by the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT), according to a story in the Trinidad and Tobgo Express.

"The announcement was made at ASATT'S annual awards celebration at the La Joya Auditorium, St Joseph, and Bovell will be ASATT's male nominee for the 2004 FCB Sportsman of the Year award, while the association's female nominee will be sprinter Sharntelle McLean, who splashed to two records at the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC) back in July.

"Bovell, who is home from Auburn University in the United States on a ten-day Christmas break before returning to training camp next Tuesday, was a shoo-in for the award, especially after his bronze medal performance in his pet event, the 200-metre individual medley (IM), at the Athens Olympics last August.

"He was the sole medal-winner for T&T at the quadrennial Games.

"The 21-year-old Bovell, who earlier this week donated $10,000 out of his sports trust fund to this country's first Olympic medallist Rodney Wilkes, was also awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal for his efforts.

"Bovell, currently recovering from a knee injury, was also rewarded yesterday for his record-breaking efforts spanning the period from the 2003 Pan Am Games to date.

"Those performances included his 200m IM world short course record swim (1:53.93) at the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Men's Division 1 Swimming Championships in New York back in March and his 200m IM Commonwealth mark also established at the Olympics (1:58.80).

"Bovell also received awards for being a member of the Olympic and CISC teams.

"Along with awards being distributed for national Olympic and CISC team members, there were also prizes for members of the national Carifta team and developmental Goodwill team.

Outstanding Swimmers of the Year:

Male-8 & under: Jonathon Fabio; 9-10: Moriba De La Rosa; 11-12: Walter Romany; 13-14: Jules Graham; 15-17: Nicholas Bovell; 18 & over: George Bovell.

Female-8 & under: Cadean Lyons; 9-10: Kimberlee John-Williams; 11-12: Samantha Rahael; 13-14: Kimba Collymore; 15-17: Ayeisha Collymore; 18 & over: Sharntelle McLean.

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