Swimming: Sacos Open Championship-Shannon Austin, Bristol individual winners |28 June 2007

Shannon Austin accumulated an astonishing 120 points after 15 wins in as many events she competed in. She even clocked a fast time of 28.92 seconds in the 50m freestyle, but because the organizers were using stop watches for hand-timing as the electronic scoreboard, installed in 1993 for the Fourth Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG), is no longer working, her time will not go down as a Seychelles record. This means that the record of 29.22 seconds belonging to her big sister – Shrone Austin – stands.

Shannon’s other 14 wins came in the 100m freestyle (1:05.05), 100m breaststroke (1:29.16), 200m backstroke (2:51.24), 50m butterfly (33.62 seconds), 1,500m freestyle (20:21.87), 200m butterfly (3:01:81), 50m breaststroke (38.70 seconds), 400m freestyle (5:22.74), 100m backstroke (1:17.54), 100m butterfly (1:19.57), 200m breaststroke (3:12.92), 200m freestyle (2:25.06), 200m Individual Medley (2:46.99) and 800m freestyle (10:13.57).

Second place overall in the women’s ranking went to Liza Mangroo with 76 points, while German Nina Reinschmidt, completed the medals podium with third place and the bronze medal after accumulating 48 points.

Reinschmidt, who is expected to swim for Seychelles at the forthcoming Seventh IOIG in Madagascar in August provided her paper works are in order, was also named the most improved female swimmer.

Butterfly specialist Bertrand Bristol amassed 64 points for first place in the men’s ranking after winning the 100m breaststroke (1:23.25), 200m butterfly (2:17.19), 100m butterfly (1:02.45) and 200m Individual Medley (2:31.85).

With two points less than overall winner Bristol, runner-up Claude Adeline did not get a win in any of the races.

As for Steven Mangroo who chalked up 57 points, he finished third overall after wins in the 100m freestyle (57.05 seconds), 200m freestyle (2:07.45), 400m freestyle (4:41.87), 800m freestyle (9:23.64) and 1,500m freestyle (18:45.81).

Other male swimmers who celebrated victory in the events were Adrian Nanty (50m freestyle – 25.74 seconds and 50m butterfly – 27.24 seconds), Julio Smith (200m breaststroke – 3:01.21, 100m backstroke – 1:13.00 and 50m breaststroke – 35.82 seconds) and  Fabio Bastienne (200m backstroke – 2:47.59).

It is to note that the top eight swimmers in each event were awarded points. The scoring system was in a descending order with the first place finisher scoring eight points, while one point was awarded to the eighth place finisher.