The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SOME things are worth waiting for. Just ask an elated Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace as she made sporting history as the first Bahamian to win a swimming medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

After watching the opportunity slip away from her with fourth place in the women’s 50 metres freestyle final 24 hours earlier, Vanderpool-Wallace came back to the Tollcross Swimming Centre yesterday and got the job done in the 50 metres butterfly final.

Her time of 25.53 seconds lowered her own national record but more importantly brought her the historic silver medal behind England’s Francesca Halsall.

“I’m really happy. I wanted it really badly. I’m really happy with that second place. I came in here knowing that I could do it, so I’m proud of myself,” Vanderpool-Wallace said as she fought back tears of jubilation.

Vanderpool-Wallace, 24, admitted that she knew that Halsall was having an incredible Games but once she went out and executed her race, she was confident that she would be successful.

“I tried to get a good start and I tried to pound through it as much as I could,” said Vanderpool-Wallace of the one length sprint race that is similar to the 100 metres in track and field.

“I tried to get into another gear in the last 15 metres, but I think the way I have been feeling all day, that was not really the time I was expecting. I was expecting to go a little slower, especially coming out of the 100 metres freestyle a couple minutes ago.”

Not more than a hour earlier, Vanderpool-Wallace qualified for her third final at the Games with the fourth fastest time in the 100 metres freestyle semi-final. But she said her only aim had been to see the Bahamas flag raised for the first time as she shook off the heart-breaking fourth place the night before.

“Looking at the times in the 50m free yesterday, I would have been top three at the Olympics,” said Vanderpool-Wallace, whose next goal is to get the Bahamas first Olympics medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

“Knowing that my time put me right up there and I still have two more years before 2016, I have a lot of work to do, but I definitely feel like I can get up on the podium there just as I did here.”

With the tears starting to flow, Vanderpool-Wallace said she hoped that the Bahamian people will understand just how precious the moment has been for her.

“I wanted it so badly for the Bahamas, not just for myself,” she said as her voice started to crack with emotion. “I had a chance to put the Bahamas on the map and to make people realise that we are a force to reckon with.

“We had all of the other swimmers swimming here and doing exceptionally well, so its been a great meet for the Bahamas.”

On the pool deck was a good contingent of Bahamians throwing their support behind her, including her teammates, but more importantly from all over the social media.

“Thanks to everybody for their support. I’ve been getting a lot of Twitter messages, Facebook messages and emails from people all over the world that I’ve never met before, but you have been rooting for me coming from such a small country,” she summed up. “So it means a lot to me.”

While she will not overdo any celebrations before she completes her mission here in the women’s 100m freestyle final today, Vanderpool-Wallace said she might enjoy a pint of Heineken to help her soak up her emotions.

But if there was one thing she appreciated most, it was that her parents, former Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and her mother, Tietchka, whom she followed as a former national team swimmer, were in the stands rooting for her as well.

“I didn’t see them tonight because I was way too nervous,” said Vanderpool-Wallace of her parents who had seen her go so close the night before. “I am really happy that they were here to see that.”

The medal crowns a memorable few days for Vanderpool-Wallace, who was selected by the Bahamas Olympic Committee to carry the flag during the opening ceremony last Wednesday. She became the first swimmer to carry the flag at either the Commonwealth or Olympic Games.

Her silver medal pushed the Bahamas into a tie with six other countries, including Jamaica, for 15th place in the medal standings. England, in second place with 57 medals, ten behind Australia, saw Halsall come back for another record setting gold medal performance, duplicating her feat of Saturday in the 50 metres freestyle. She took the gold in a Games record of 25.20 seconds ahead of Vanderpool-Wallace. The bronze went to Brittany Elmslie, of Australia.