Guyanese star swimmer, Raekwon Noel, on Sunday became only the second athlete from the Land of Many Waters to clinch a Junior Pan American Games medal, as he rewrote another National record in the process.
Noel hit the pool in Asuncion, Paraguay for the Men’s 200M Butterfly event final, clocking 1:59.46 to shatter his own national record that previously stood at 1:59.89.
Raekwon Noel displays his spoils from his medal- winning effort at the Junior Pan Am Games
Noel claimed a bronze medal behind Brazilian duo Gustavo Francisco in 1:58.95 and Gabriel Moura 1:59.45, who captured gold and silver respectively.
Earlier in the competition, Noel booked his passage to the final with a 2:01.52s swim in Heat 1 of the 200M Butterfly preliminaries for first place in that race.
Not only is Noel’s bronze Guyana’s second junior Pan Am Games medal, but it is the first time that a Guyanese swimmer has medalled at the event. Back in 2021, Chantoba Bright was Guyana’s first medallist at the junior games, picking up silver in the Women’s Triple jump.
In addition, Noel put himself in contention for another medal on Monday in the Men’s 100M Butterfly. Noel stopped the clock at 54.23s in Heat 4 of the event on Monday morning, securing a place in Monday afternoon’s final. However, a double medal was not to be as Noel went on to clock 53.39s for sixth place in that final. Brazil’s Lucio Filho claimed the gold, finishing the race in 51.78s.
