T&T's Graham Chatoor was 21st best from a field of 25 swimmers in the men's 800m freestyle final when the 2024 Pro Swim Series splashed off at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois on Wednesday.
Chatoor touched the wall in eight minutes, 31.15 seconds to secure the sixth and final spot in heat three of four in the Time Finals.
It was a 1-2 finish for The Swim Team in the men’s 800 freestyle, with David Johnston (7:57.00 minutes) touching just 0.11 ahead of Michael Brinegar (7:57.11). Johnston was leading with 50 to go, but Brinegar split 27.29 over the final 50 to nearly close the gap. Johnston was 27.89 over the final 50, doing enough to hold on for victory.
Chatoor, formerly of the University of New York, will also contest the 200m freestyle as the 46th seed with a time of one minute, 53.53 seconds on Friday before closing off with the 400m freestyle on Saturday as the 25th ranked swimmer with a time of three minutes, 57.45 seconds.
T&T's Cherelle Thompson, who got a bronze medal in the event at last year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador, will enter the women’s 50m freestyle on Friday as the 17th seeded swimmer with a time of 25.61 seconds.
Thompson is also part of the T&T contingent for the Carifta Swimming Championships in the Bahamas at the end of March.
At the first Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville, Tennessee, held in January, Thompson was 11th in the 50m freestyle heats in 25.87 to qualify for the B finals where she ended in the seventh spot in 25.92.
It will be the first international meet for Olympian Thompson, of Tennessee Aquatics, since she competed at the FINA Aquatics World Championship in February and placed 38th in the women’s freestyle in 26.03, and 41st in the 50m butterfly.
However, Chatoor will be the first into action when he faces the starter in the men’s 80m freestyle as the 22nd seed with a time of eight minutes, 16.65 seconds.