1 year ago
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SWIMMER Sabrina Lyn is very nervous heading to her first Olympic Games in Paris but she is also excited at the prospects that lie ahead. The former Campion College student, who idolises former national representative Alia Atkinson, is aiming at following in her footsteps.
“It’s a dream come true. I’m very excited and nervous. She’s the only Olympian from Jamaica that I’ve met so far. I’ve known her since age 12 and she’s been part of my journey. It’s good seeing someone from Jamaica reach the Olympics in swimming and do well, so I hope to be as good as her, or even better,” she stated.
The 20-year-old forms part of a three-member aquatics team for Jamaica alongside fellow swimmer Josh Kirlew and diver Yona Knight-Wisdom. Lyn stated that her strong interest in swimming started during the 2017 staging of the Carifta Games.
“One of my memorable moments in swimming came back in 2017 at the Carifta Games. I won the 100-metre butterfly after a mishap at the start of the race. As I dived into the pool my goggles fell off and that isn’t a good thing to happen. I wasn’t even the first seed but I was able to pull through and finish first despite the goggles falling and that was when I started taking swimming seriously,” she stated.
With a personal best of 25.82 seconds in the 50-metre freestyle, Lyn revealed that one of her targets for the Paris Olympic is to have a crack at the national record which stands at 25.47.
“My goal in Paris is to achieve a personal best and break the national record for the 50-metre freestyle,” she said.
According to the Louisiana State University student, she’s aware of what she needs to improve in order to rub shoulders with the best in the world.
“What needs improvement for sure is the ‘breakout’ and breathing pattern. Breakout is the moment you dive and go through the transition from underwater to swimming. Also, one of the goals for the 50-metre freestyle is to not breathe for the entire lap as I think I am okay with my dive and side-stroke.”
Lyn is hoping that more athletes will show interest in the sport as swimming has the potential for growth in Jamaica.
“Swimming in Jamaica has potential to be very big. It’s a fun sport and everyone that does it, loves the sport. It’s a fulfilling sport to do and I would love to see it gain more traction in Jamaica and see more athletes move into the aquatic community,” she said.
English (US) ·