Alvaranga nearing world-class level - coach

Immaculate Conception High school's swim team coach Kenneth ‘Teddy’ Hayles says star swimmer, Zaneta Alvaranga, is nearing world-class level, after the youngster broke four individual records in four events, at last week's Mayberry Schools Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre.

Hayles believes the young sensation is definitely one of the nation's brightest swimming prospect.

The coach underlined that Alvaranga's 27.94 seconds, which placed her second in the 50 metres butterfly at the recent Carifta Games, was world class, and even though her new mark of 28.97 is a bit off her Carifta time, Hayles said the mark is not too far from Alia Atkinson's time in the said event at the Commonwealth Games and predicts continued success for the upcoming swimmer.

"Ms Alvaranga broke four individual records. So every time she swam, it was a record. I have never seen it done in Jamaica as yet, and the times that she is doing are near world class. Her (best) fly is 27 something, and that is the time that Alia did the other day (Commonwealth Games). Alia is a lower 27, but Alvaranga is not too far off, so she is one for the future," he stated.

At the high-school championships, Alvaranga also won the girls Under-12 200 metres freestyle in 2:19.16. She took the 50 metres freestyle in 27.27 and the 50 metres breaststroke in 36.54 and she insisted her aim was just to get close to the times she did at CARIFTA and not really to go for records.

"When I came here, I just wanted to go back to the times I did at CARIFTA last week, and it worked because I was close to most of my best times and I did a best time in one of my races. So it was always my aim to do my best, and if records came, then so be it," Alvaranga said.

Getting ready

Alvaranga, who stated that she will now focus on getting ready for the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming (CCAN) championships, said she is happy with her form at the moment.

"I think my form is good. I was close to all my times. I was only off by a few millisecond but I am still up there and I am ready to prep for CCAN . I surpassed one (best time) of them, the 200m free. I feel good because it was better than what I did at Carifta and at Carifta I didn't do the best time in the 200m free, but I came and did a best time here, so I feel confident that once my fitness level is up, I can do well," she added.

livingston .scott@gleanerjm.com