Martyn Forde representing Barbados at the Santa Clara Invitational from May 15-18 cleared his own national record 23.17 set a little more than a month ago and the Olympic B qualifying time when he swam to a new senior national record of 23.07 and a win in the heats of the 50 metre freestyle.
Video of the race
Forde got the better of national teammate and fellow University of Toronto swimmer Terence Haynes who placed second in the same heat in 23.54. The duo have been battling over the last couple years for the top Barbadian sprinter accolades in the sprint freestyle events which has resulted in the records in the 50 and 100 metre freestyle being lowered frequently.
Forde advanced to the A Finals where he placed eight in a field that included the 2005 World Champion Roland Schoeman of South Africa ,the 2007 World Champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner of the USA and South Africans Ryk Neethling and Lyndon Ferns who were members of the 2004 Gold medal 400 freestyle relay team. He touched in a time of 23.15. Teammate Terence a 2004 Olympian won his consolation finals in a time of 23.35.
Video of A Final
Video of C Final
The duo would clash again in the 100 free but it would see Haynes having the advantage as his fast first 50 of 24.59 saw him advancing to the C Finals with a total time of 51.56 not far from his national record of 51.48.
Forde went out a bit slower in 25.12 and stopped the clock in 52.51 for 55th place overall. In the C Finals Haynes took it out a touch slower 24.61 but came back faster in 26.88 yet again just off his national record and the Olympic B Qualifying time of 50.95 to finish seventh in that race.
Video of C Final
Also at the meet was another 2004 Barbadian Olympian Bradley Ally who represented Pine Crest Swim School. Ally‘s best performances came in the 400 Individual Medley and the 200 metre backstroke.
He placed second in the B Final of the medley event after a close battle with Cory Chitwood of University of Arizona where he lost out on the touch 4:28.41 to 4:28.57 not too far off the Olympic B Qualifying time of 4:27.44 for the event.
Video of B final
The 200 metre backstroke saw him seventh in the C Final in 2:09.51 he had previously gone faster in the heats clocking 2:09.23.
Video of C Final
Other events that the 21 year old Ally competed in was the 100 metre breastroke where he placed 35th in 1:07.64 (32.01 split) and 68th in the 100 metre butterfly 58.28 (27.34)