The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Day four for the Bahamas at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, the focus remained in the pool as the swim team continued their bid for the medal podium.

The 200 metre breaststroke took centre stage yesterday with Laura Morley and Dustin Tynes in competition.

Morley swam to a sixth place finish in the “B” final of the event with her time of 2:42.99 seconds.

In the opening heat, Morley finished seventh in heat two in a time of 2:40.28, nearly 15 seconds behind Kierra Smith of Canada who finished first in a then PR time of 2:25.41. Morley fell behind early and swam her first length in 35.75, followed by splits of 40.24, 41.51 and 42.78. Smith went on to win the gold medal with a new PR of 2:24.38.

Martha McCabe of Canada was second in 2:24.51, Annie Lazor of the United States was third in 2:26.03, and Jamaican Alaia Atkinson was fourth in 2:27.15.

The Bahamian national record holder in the event and Indiana Hoosier set the country’s mark when she swam a 2:36.42 at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games.

In the men’s event, Tynes finished sixth in the “B” final in 2:18.14.

In the preliminaries, he finished sixth in heat three in a time of 2:18.13. In the process, Tynes broke the Bahamas and Bahamas Open Record formerly held by national standout Jeremy Knowles that had stood for 15 years.

Off to a fast start, Tynes touched the wall in third place following the first split in 30.54. He fell behind to fourth place after the second split (34.66), fifth after the third (35.67) and touched the wall in sixth (37.26).

For the Ohio St Buckeye, it was his second consecutive major meet representing the Bahamas in the event, after he contested the 200m breaststroke at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Thiago Simon of Brazil went on to win the gold medal with a new PR of 2:09.82.

Following her bronze medal performance on Tuesday night, Vanderpool-Wallace is scheduled to be back in the pool to contest the 100m butterfly. Heats are slated to begin at 11:11am local time.

On Friday, all five members of the Bahamas’ swimming contingent will be in action.

Morley and Tynes will be featured in the 100m breaststroke, Ariel Weech and Vanderpool-Wallace in the 50m freestyle and Joanna Evans will be making her Pan Am Games debut in the 400m freestyle.