Records Tumble As 4th CNS Swimming Championship Ends

Eric Williams of Rivers provided an exciting end to the 4th Chief of Naval Staff Open Swimming Competition in Calabar when he broke a six-year national record in the men’s 50 metres Breaststroke.

Williams had also set a national record of 29:80 in 2007, the competition record of 29:89 in 2011 and the new record of 29: 74 seconds in 2012.

The events competed for included 16 males, 16 females, 28 individuals and four relay races.

Seven old competition records were also broken in this year’s championship which attracted swimmers from 15 teams from different states.

Faith Edorodion of Team Edo set a new competition record of 1:12:51 in the women’s 100 metres Butterfly and in the 50 metres Butterfly, when she returned with a time of  31: 41. 32.

She had set the old competition mark of 1:15:07 in the 100 metres butterfly and national record of 1:07:71 in the same event in 2011.

Edorodion also holds the competition record of 31:86 seconds in the 50 metres butterfly and the national record of 29:97 set respectively at the third edition of the championship in Ilorin, Kwara, in 2011.

Rachael Tonjor, of Edo who holds the national and competition records of 33:81 and 35:17 in 50 metres Breaststroke, women, in 2011 set a new competition record of  35:13.

Samson Opuakpo, of Delta, who holds the national and competition records of 1:01:19 and 1:06:94 respectively in 100 metres men’s Backstroke sets a new competition record of 1:03:07.

Another record breaker was Ifieziegbe Gagbe of Bayelsa, who clocked a time of 2:44:23 seconds to erase the previous 2:44:43 in 200 metres Individual Medley Women set by Rachael Tonjor in 2011 and set a new competition record.

Although she failed to beat the national record of 2:39:49 set by Ikaghoemi Joshua of Team Rivers in 1992, Gagbe also set a new competition record in 200 metres Backstroke women with a time of  2:55:24.

She returned a time of 2:55:24 in Calabar to erase the time of 2:55:77 she had set in 2011. Obia Inyengiyikabo of Rivers holds the national record of 2:43:64 set in the event in 1992.

The competition record of 5:21:36 set in 4×100 metres Medley Relay Women in 2011 by Team Edo, was also broken by the same team when it returned with the new time of  5:13:17.

Our correspondent reports that Opuakpo of Delta emerged as the Best Overall Male swimmer in eight individual races and second in one individual race in the competition.

Gagbe of Bayelsa won in the female category when she picked first positions in eight individual women races.

Team Delta won the Best Overall state prize when it emerged first in nine races, second in 9 other races and third in 13 races.

The Nigeria police team emerged the best team in five events, second in three team events and third slots in five events at the championship.

Speaking while declaring the competition closed, Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim, the Chief of Naval Staff, urged the Swimming Federation of Nigeria to initiate ways to make the sport more popular.

Represented by Rear-Admiral Ibokette Ibas, Navy Secretary, Ibrahim stressed that the competition was part of efforts to develop the sport.