Swimming:Record-breaker Passon makes mark, dreams of the Olympics |25 September 2013

She is just 14 years old and has this year broken two records belonging to Seychelles’ swimming champ Shrone Austin. The new starlet is Felicity Passon.

On Friday April 26, 2013 during the Seychelles Swimming Association (SSA) series, Passon touched the wall in the 50m backstroke event in a time of 33.75 seconds for a new Seychelles record, knocking 10 hundredths of a second off Austin’s old best of 33.85 seconds clocked on December 12, 2005 during the Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan Indien (CJSOI) swimming tournament.
According to the SSA record books, after Elke Talma got the old record of 36.10 seconds set during the fourth Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) here in 1993, Austin claimed it in August 2003 with a clocking of 34.05 seconds before lowering it to 33.85 seconds on December 12, 2005.
Passon’s second national record came on Friday August 2, 2013 when she was ranked 49th out of 60 with a time of 30.46 seconds in the 50m butterfly at the world swimming championship in Barcelona, Spain.
The 30.46-second timing was faster than the old time of 30.85 seconds set on December 12, 2005 by Austin who herself lowered the mark four times in three years – 33.98 seconds in 2002, 32.68 seconds in 2003, 31.24 seconds in 2005 and 30.85 seconds on December 12, 2005.
In April this year, Passon was a four-time gold medallist in the 50m backstroke (35.17 seconds), 50m breaststroke (41.37 seconds), 50m butterfly (31.42 seconds) and 50m freestyle (29.45 seconds) as well as winner of the best female swimmer trophy at the fifth Jeux de l’Espoir in Mauritius.
She also won for the second consecutive year the best female swimmer title based on points accumulated through the final placings at the Sacos National Open Championships in June.

The young swimmer is part of the Seychelles team preparing for the African Junior Championship slated for Zambia in November and has already been selected to compete at the Youth Olympics Games in Nanjing, China from August 16-28, 2014.
Speaking to Sports Nation, Passon said: “I am very proud and very happy – even surprised to have achieved my first national record at only 13 years of age. This is the fruit of all the hard work and sacrifices as I have to juggle between my studies and training – sometimes even twice a day as I also train as from 5am.”
She added that she is thankful for the continuous support of her coaches, parents, friends and family members and also the association who has given her the opportunity to be chosen for international events such as the last two Fina world championships in Istanbul (Turkey) and Barcelona (Spain).
Passon, whose dream is to one day compete in the Olympic Games, added that she hopes to remain consistent with her training as long as it doesn't affect her studies.

“I hope to better my performance and results in forthcoming competitions. I’m also eager to obtain all possible support in training to master the techniques, maximise my potential and improve my build and skills. I am also looking forward to gain additional experience at forthcoming international events such as the African Junior Championships and the Youth Olympic Games. Competing at these competitions will give me even greater exposure and a chance to represent my country at the highest level,” said Passon.

G. G.