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Alfonso Mestre, Jarod Arroyo Down National Records Early On At CCCAN Champs

2021 CCCAN Swimming Championships

Several national records fell by the wayside over the first two days of competition at the 2021 Central American and Caribbean (CCCAN) Swimming Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico, including Venezuela’s Alfonso Mestre putting himself in position to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Mestre, 19, swam the men’s 1500 freestyle on Wednesday night looking for an official 800 split, with eyes on the Olympic-qualifying time of 7:54.31. Mestre crushed that mark, touching in a time of 7:50.81 to not only go well under the FINA ‘A’ standard, but also chopping nearly five seconds off his previous Venezuelan National Record of 7:55.69 set just six weeks ago at the Pro Swim Series stop in Indianapolis.

With swimmers eligible to qualify for the Olympics until June 27, Mestre’s swim should qualify him for Tokyo.

El Salvador’s Marcelo Acosta, a 2016 Olympian, won the mile in a time of 15:52.85.

Two of the more notable national records that went down on Thursday came in the 200 IM, where Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo and Kristen Romano took down the men’s and women’s marks, respectively.

Arroyo, 19, blasted to a time of 2:00.61 in the men’s 200 IM preliminary heats, lowering his national record of 2:00.85 set last month. Arroyo won the final in a time of 2:00.95, with countryman Miguel Cancel a close runner-up in 2:01.63.

Romano, who swam four years for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the NCAA, topped the women’s 200 IM in 2:12.86, annihilating her previous national record of 2:15.15 set in 2017. Romano was just three tenths shy of the FINA ‘A’ cut (2:12.56).

Both Arroyo and Romano’s swims were also new CCCAN Meet Records.

Bermuda’s Madelyn Moore (women’s 50 fly-27.12) and Panama’s Edgar Crespo (men’s 100 breast-1:02.02) also lowered meet records.

OTHER NATIONAL RECORDS SET (THRU DAY 2)

  • Honduras
    • Carlos Vasquez – men’s 50 fly (24.98)
    • Julimar Avila – women’s 200 IM (2:20.73)
  • Bermuda
  • El Salvador
    • Elisa Funes – women’s 100 breast (1:13.89)
    • Isabella Alas – women’s 200 IM (2:21.84)
  • Haitian
    • Davidson Vincent – men’s 50 fly (24.74)
  • Bahamian
    • Davante Carey – men’s 50 back (26.10)
    • Izaak Bastian – men’s 200 breast (2:15.14)

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About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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