Kimiko Raheem from the BISP Swim Academy in Phuket, Thailand, won eight gold medals for her country Sri Lanka at the recent South Asian Aquatic Championship 2016, which concluded at the Colombo Sugathadasa Swimming Pool on Saturday 22 October.
All South Asian countries took part in the four day event, except for Afghanistan and Bhutan. Champions India were represented by 53 swimmers who took part in 191 events.
Hosts Sri Lanka were the runners-up winning 28 gold, 66 silver and 95 bronze medals, with Kimiko winning five gold in individual events – the 200m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle, and 100m Backstroke – and three golds in the relays.
BISP Head Coach Colin Braund says, “Kimiko has shown that she has adapted well to training in a different environment here at BISP.
“Although the meet was not a major focus for the season she has posted times not far from her best which is always pleasing as a coach to see a swimmer perform well while in the midst of heavy training. We must now turn our focus on getting her fully prepared for the upcoming World Short Course championships in December.”
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British International School, Phuket (BISP) swimmer Nicholle Toh took bronze in the women’s 200m butterfly at the recent Singapore leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup, finishing third behind three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungary.
In front of a 1800 crowd at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on Saturday night (22 October), the 15 year-old member of the BISP Swim Academy set a new Singaporean national record of 2min 11.26sec, which beat a time that had stood for 16 years. Nicholle’s bronze medal was the only one won by the 29 member Singapore swim team at the two-day meet.
In an interview with the city’s Today newspaper after the race, Nicholle said: “I finished third overall after the heats and I was hoping to maintain that position in the final.
“But having said that, I was definitely feeling nervous at the start because I was competing against world-class athletes, some of whom have won many Olympic medals and world titles. I was just glad that I got the chance to race against them.”
Back at their aquatic centre in Phuket, Thailand, BISP Swim Academy Head Coach Colin Braund said, “Nicholle has proven over the last month of racing that she is not afraid of taking on world class senior swimmers and is now posting times of a world class junior swimmer.
“She has a big year ahead of her and now must focus on the process of getting herself on to the National team and use the experience she has gained to be a contender at both the World junior Championships and South East Asian Games.”
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Learn more about the BISP Swim Academy at www.bisphuket.ac.th/swimming, follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/swimphuket or email: cbraund@bisphuket.ac.th.
Press release courtesy of BISP Swim Academy.
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