Four-time T&T Olympic swimmer George Bovell III has opted out of the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) carded for the Hamad Aquatic Complex, Doha, Qatar from Wednesday until December 7. The 31-year-old Athens Greece Olympic bronze medal winner in the 200m individual medley said the decision was a personal one and was made after much deliberation with his family.
Four years ago in Istanbul, Turkey, Bovell got a historic bronze medal in the men's 100m IM in 51.66 behind USA's Ryan Lochte (51.21) and Australian, Kenneth To (51.38) and was fourth in his pet event, the 50m freestyle. However, he will take no part this time out citing some important family matters.
He said, "I have decided to pull out of the World Championships and the Salnikov Cup and instead start a break early, even though I am ranked number one in the world. He added, "I had to ask myself what is the bigger medal and in life, there are some things you can't plan.
The USA-based Bovell was expected to be major medal contender in his pet event, the men's 50m freestyle as well as the 50m breaststroke and 100m individual medley events, which he has contested for most of the FINA/MASTBANK World Cup Swimming Circuit that ended last month during which he bagged bagged nine medals, (three gold, five silver, one bronze).
Bovell then followed it up by winning a third straight gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Veracruz, Mexico, last week, in 22.30, .07 hundredths of a second outside his 2010 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico record of 22.23 while Suriname's Renzo Tjon-A-Joe (22.62) and Cuban, Hanser Garcia (22.69) got silver and bronze respectively.
A former Auburn University and NCAA swimming champion, the T&T swimmer previously won gold at the 2006 CAC Games in Colombia in 22.67, improving his overall CAC haul to six medals, one gold and five bronze.
Bovell also picked up a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke at the CAC Games, after he finished third, .01 hundredths of a second out of a silver medal in 25.91 seconds.
The winner was Albert Subirats of Venezuela who won in a new meet record of 25.72 while his countryman Robinson Molina got silver in 25.90, just ahead of Bovell.
Reflecting on his CAC Games outing, Bovell said it was a solid performance.
"It can even be described perhaps as stellar one considering the conditions of the freezing pool and poor starting blocks. My experience definitely helped with the challenges that the conditions presented and I hope that gold medal served to fire up the rest of the T&T contingent and our track and field team will take centre stage this week.
George Bovell III's
FINA/Mastbank World Cup results
Doha, Qatar, August 27-28,
(First-Leg):
50m breaststroke heats - 27.51 secs - 10th
100m individual medley heats - 54.81 - 1st
50m freestyle heats - 21.81 - 8th
Finals:
100m individual medley - 52.80 - 1st
50m freestyle - 21.43 - silver
United Araba Emirates, August 31 - Septembe 1, Dubai (Second-Leg)
50m breaststroke heats - 27.61 (10th)
100m individual medley heats - 53.36 - 1st
50m freestyle heats - 21.95 (joint 8th with Spain's Miguezl Ortiz who opted out final)
Finals:
100m individual medley - 51.79 - 1st
50m freestyle - 21.31 - silver
Beijing, China, October 24-25, (Fifth-Leg)
50m breaststroke heats - 28.03 - 6th
100m individual medley heats - 54.87 - 3rd
50m freestyle heats - 21.68 - 1st
Finals:
50m breaststroke - 26.91 - 2nd (first ever medal)
100m individual medley - 52.43 - silver
50m freestyle - 21.40 - 4th
Tokyo, Japan, October 28-29, (Sixth-Leg)
50m breaststroke heats - 27.10 - 4th
100m individual medley heats - 53.29 - 5th
50m freestyle heats - 21.98 - 6th
Finals:
50m breaststroke - 26.85 - 4th
100m individual medley - 52.89 - 5th
50m freestyle - 21.42 - silver
Singapore, November 1-2, (Seventh- Leg)
50m breaststroke heats - 28.03 - 4th
100m individual medley heats - 55.87 - 10th
50m freestyle heats - 21.60 - 2nd
Finals:
50m breaststroke - 26.81 - bronze (national record)
50m freestyle heats - 21.37 - 1st?
