The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Lamar Taylor, back in university as he prepares for the collegiate and World Championships and Olympic year, said he was “shocked” when he touched the wall for the Bahamas’ first swimming medal ever (for men) at the Pan American Games.

Taylor, one of seven members on the athletic team at the games being held in Santiago, Chile, clocked 22.13 seconds to pick up the bronze medal in the men’s 50m A final behind the American duo of Davis Curtiss (21.85) and Jonathan Kulow (21.90) during the swimming competition last week.

The time surpassed his previous Bahamas national record of 22.26 that he established at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in July, but it was just shy of the qualifying standard of 22.07 for the Olympic Games in Paris, France in August.

As he reflected on his performance after he left for the games for Henderson State University in Arkansas, the Grand Bahamian native, now in his senior year, said he was quite thrilled by his performances.

“I was really happy with my times. I felt a little short in some events, but where I’m at in my training block, I would say that my swimming went extremely well,” Taylor said. “Honestly, getting the medal, I was really shocked. I didn’t expect to win a medal at all.

“This meet was just a feel around for me, just to get some long course times in and to PR (produce personal best times). I jokingly said ‘oh, I have a really good chance to medal because the shape that I was in, it wasn’t my best shape.”

As the day approached and the race got started, Taylor said he noticed that his kick had a little chop in it, especially my 100m free, so during the warm up, he was just trying to focus on it so he could get a steady kick during the race.

“I did a lot of that in the water where I was doing a lot of fast kicks so I could really get my legs moving,” he stated.

Stacked against a quality field of top-notch competitors added to the burden, but Taylor didn’t let it get to him. “There were a lot of fast swimmers, a lot of great guys and a lot of high talent, so the competition was there,” said Taylor, who noted that he made a lot of new friends and renewed some old rivalries.

Having had a chance to compete in other international meets, including the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, really gave Taylor the impetus to believe that he had a slight chance of succeeding.

“The difference in this meet as opposed to the other international meets is that I had the opportunity to come back for a second swim,” Taylor said. “At Worlds, I swam extremely well and PRed, but I was shy of a second swim.

“I’m a better swimmer at night because I tend to make a lot of mistakes in the morning and I get a chance to watch the race and hopefully correct the mistake at night. So to have a second swim really helped me a lot.”

Although there’s cause for celebration, being the trendsetter as a medallist at the games, Taylor said he didn’t have time to enjoy the moment, but he will savour it for the rest of his life as he continues to add to his accolades.

“Hopefully, I’m allowed to swim at the World Championships. I know it’s an Olympic year and the NCAA is going on at the same time, but I hope they allow the college athletes to compete at Worlds,” he said.

Back at school where he is trained by Scotty Serio, Taylor said his coach already started to make a framework for the Olympics.

And even though he’s looking forward to coming home and three-peating in his specialties at the Bahamas Aquatics’ Nationals at the refurbished Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Center, he’s not going to let it deter him from his ultimate goal.

“I want to improve on my long course season, improving my times, getting my A cuts because I want to be able to at least make the semifinal or final at the Olympics next year,” said Taylor of the Olympics to be staged in Paris, France.

It was the second national record at the meet for the 20-year-old Taylor, who clinched another feat in the 100m back in 56.39 for 13th place overall as he improved on his previous time of 56.47 at the Bahamas Aquatics’ Nationals in June. He was also 16th in the men’s 100m freestyle.

“It was great to break my own record and make it a little harder for the younger swimmers coming behind me,” he said.

“I just want to make sure that they have something to work for.”

During the games, Taylor also got a chance to compete in a pair of 4 x 100m relays with compatriots Zaylie Thompson, Katelyn Cabral and Luke Thompson (mixed freestyle) and Mark-Anthony Thompson, Emmanuel Gadson and Luke Thompson (men’s medley) with both teams ending up in 11th place overall.

“The team in Chile was great. I had a lot of fun competing with them,” he said. “I always enjoy spending time with my fellow Bahamians. I always love it when I get a chance to go away with them and spend time with them.”

Hopefully, he can do it all over again next year at the Olympics.