NMI swimmers reset nine PBs in Peru

NMI swimmers Jinie Thompson, right, and Savita Sikkel pose inside the competition venue for the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru.(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Jinie Thompson and Savita Sikkel recorded personal bests in nine of the 10 events they competed in the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships in Lima, Peru.

Thompson finished 62nd overall in the women’s 50m freestyle with a time of 31.09. She also came in 51st in the women’s 50m backstroke after a swim of 38.09. 

The Marianas High School student ranked 49th in the women’s 50m butterfly with a time of 35.57 before coming in 62nd place in the women’s 100m freestyle after a swim of 1:09.45.

The 16-year-old then posted a 1:24.17 in the women’s 100m backstroke that was good for 51st overall.

Jinie Thompson and Savita Sikkel explore the sites of Lima, Peru during a break from competition. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Sikkel, for her part, came in 63rd in the women’s 50m freestyle in 32.12, 52nd in the women’s 50m backstroke in 38.31, 50th in the women’s 50m butterfly in 36.28, and 52nd in the women’s 100m backstroke in 1:26.42. 

The 14-year-old Saipan International School student, however, was disqualified in the women’s 100m freestyle after she made a wrong turn in Day 1 of the competition.

CNMI national coach Richard Sikkel said considering that the girls haven’t swam in an official swimming pool for years, all their events in the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships are considered personal bests and he’s happy about their performance.

“In nine out of 10 events the girls swam personal bests. Overall it’s a good experience,” he said.

The Saipan Swim Club head coach added that the overall level of swimming was really high in the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships.

“The nice thing about this being a junior event is that the athletes are all close in age and enjoy hanging out with one another outside of the pool. Peru itself was  really great, friendly people, good food, beautiful sights, and [the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships] was a well-organized event.”

Coach Sikkel also thanked the Northern Marianas Swimming Federation for its support and for sending two CNMI swimmers to the world-class swimming event.

“We are grateful for the support of the community, the federation, the parents, making traveling to this event possible for us. Allowing our swimmers this experience will benefit and strengthen the swimming community and programs in the CNMI.”

Thompson said she couldn’t be more thrilled that she got to experience the 2022 FINA Junior World Championships.

“I am so grateful to have experienced a competition like this. I had recently gone to the World Championships in Hungary, which was an entirely different experience  to the Junior World Championships in the way that everybody was so close in age that it was easy to engage in conversations with people all around the world and make friends. The most memorable part was getting the chance to break all of my personal best times and trying events that I had never swam before,” she said.

The younger Sikkel said her experience in the Peruvian capital will serve her in good stead as she moves forward on her swimming career.

“I am honored as it was a great learning experience,” she said.