Two-time Olympian Aleka Persaud did not deliver the performance she had hoped for in her opening swim at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, clocking 1:06.49 in the women’s 100m butterfly on Sunday.
The 19-year-old, who holds Guyana’s national record in the event (1:04.28), was well outside her best time. Persaud now looks to rebound in her stronger event, the 100m freestyle, set for Thursday, where she also holds the national record.
Persaud, Guyana’s youngest-ever Olympian, entered the championships on the back of strong preparation and a standout showing at a recent meet in Barbados.
Meanwhile, Raekwon Noel — Guyana’s first male swimmer to qualify directly for the World Championships — will begin his campaign on Tuesday in the 200m butterfly, followed by the 100m butterfly on August 1. Noel arrives in Singapore after setting multiple national records and earning four gold medals at the PanAm Aquatics Championships in Colombia earlier this year.
