Michael Grauwde off to Aruba to swim for Suriname

Michael Grauwde ,AlphaMax Academy Senior and member of the GAC 2014 class is taking part in the 29thCARIFTASwimming championships in Aruba from the 22 to the 26^th April. 

Michael is expected to take part in the backstroke events in the 15-17 year division. Mrs. Joan Grauwde, Michael’s mother and senior teacher at AlphaMax Academy is accompanying the team as a Surinamese swimming official. The meet will feature swimming, synchronized swimming and open water swimming.

Michael Grauwde Suriname Swimmer

The venue for the swimming and synchronized swimming will be the PISCINA OLIMPICO (Roly Bisslik”) in Savaneta_

The meet is the approved qualifier in swimming the Second Youth Olympic games and CAC 2014. The Youth Olympic Games will be held in Nanking ,China from August 16- 28 this year. The 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games will be held from Nov.14-30 in Vera Cruz,Mexico.

 The open water venue is the Mangel Halto Beach. There will be heats and finals from Tuesday to Friday in the Olympic Pool. On Saturday the open water event will be held before the closing ceremony.

Twenty-two swimming federations have been invited to participate. (Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba. Bahamas. Barbados. Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, French Guyana, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands. British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands).

The Competition will be conducted in accordance with FINA Rules 2013-2017 in force at the start of the competition.

 Swimming Competitors will compete in the following age groups: Female & Male 11-12, 13-14 15-17. Synchronized Swimming Competitors will compete in Female 12 & Under, 13-15 and 16-18. Open Water Swimming will be for  Males and Females aged 13-14 and 15 to 17.

 Last year at the CARIFTA Games held in Jamaica ,Suriname  50m record holder Renzo Tjon A Joe won the 50m Gold medal in a time  of 23.44. Suriname came 8^th in the final ranking with 350.50 points. Guadeloupe topped with 742.  

Final CARIFTA points rankings: for the top ten teams were:

1. Guadeloupe – 742
2. Trinidad and Tobago – 698
3. Aruba – 659
4. Jamaica – 584
5. Bahamas – 507
6. Barbados – 485
7. Martinique – 353
8. Suriname – 350.50
9. Netherlands Antilles – 151
10. Cayman Islands – 107