31st annual Inter-School Athletics Championships-Records in abundance |30 July 2007

With the new electronic timing device in operation on the day, another 17 new electronic times were established in most races for boys and girls of the open categories, in the boys and girls 80m races of the under-8 and under-10 categories introduced last year as well as medley relays which replaced the 4x400m relays in 2006.

Praslinois Etienne steals the limelight

Praslinois Eileen Etienne took the oath on behalf of the competitors alongside schoolmate Dereck Albert and then decided to run the show herself, taking the limelight from Nathanielle Cherry in the sprints.

Etienne, 16, relegated the national team sprinter to second best position in both the girls under 18 100m and 200m events. On top of winning, she improved the records over both distances.

A Secondary Five student of the Grand Anse Praslin School, Etienne clocked 12.94 seconds in the 100m race to improve Samantha Akatsa’s old record of 13.19 seconds set in 2003. In fact, both runner-up Cherry of Beau Vallon (13.00 seconds) and bronze medallist Michelle Bristol of Anse Royale (13.03 seconds) ran faster than the old best time.

In the 200m race, Etienne again displayed her sprinting ability with victory in a record time of 26.48 seconds to erase Kerine Savy’s old best of 28.30 seconds set in 2002 from the record books.

She then teamed up with Vanessa Laurence, Precella Esther and Alexina Moosa to beat the girls U18 medley relay hand timing best of 2 minutes 36.1 seconds (2:36.1) with a new performance of 2:34.9.

Asked by Sports Nation why she had stayed in the cold for long, Etienne replied:
“I used to come to Mahe to participate in competitions organised by the Seychelles Athletics Federation, but I did not this year as I did not know what was happening.”

Having beaten Cherry who is to represent Seychelles at the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Madagascar next week, Etienne, who also grabbed a silver medal in the long jump, was quick to find an answer when asked if she would like to compete for Seychelles.
“I’m ready and I can do it today if I get the chance to represent Seychelles,” she said smiling.

Low-Toy, sprint record-breaker
Another female athlete to get two individual records is Joanne Low-Toy of Mont Fleuri Secondary School and they came in the 100m (13.24 seconds) and 200m (27.36 seconds) events for girls U16.

“I wasn’t expecting to beat any records today (Saturday), but I’m happy I’ve done it. I would like to thank my coaches, parents and sisters for their encouragement,” she said.

In total, seven 200m records were beaten. The authors of the other five records were Belonie Secondary School’s Yannick Ernesta (23.60 seconds, boys U16), Anse Royale Primary School’s Corina Lesperance (29.52 seconds, girls U12), Praslin Secondary School’s Colin Stravens (23.04 seconds, boys U18), Anse Royale Secondary School’s Marius Vinda (25.54 seconds, boys U14) and La Rosière Primary School’s Jean-Luc Hoareau (29.27 seconds, boys U12).

With schoolmate and race favourite Yannick Ernesta disqualified for false start, Yannick Vidot of Belonie Secondary School clocked a new record time of 11.86 seconds in the boys U16 100m race.

Ernesta and Vidot joined forces with Kevin Rosalie and Erol Albert to lower the boys U16 medley relay hand timing record of 2:16.3 by stopping the clock at 2:12.5.

The author of the day’s first record was Jean-Marc Henri of Plaisance Secondary School.

The young athlete, who was persuaded by his physical education (PE) instructor to participate as he wanted to stay home on the day, sliced 27.16 seconds off Denis Rose’s old time of 4:41.40 for a new best of 4:14.24 in the boys U16 1,500m race.

“I had something to do at home and I was not coming to run. But I’m happy because I trained hard. I gave my very best and decided to accelerate on the final lap with Randolph (Prudence) closing in on me,” said 15-year-old Henri.

Another Plaisance Secondary School athlete – Colin Damoo – broke the 400m record for boys U18 with a time of 53.29 seconds, while Karine Siméon of Anse Royale Secondary School beat the old girls U18 800m record with a clocking of 2:34.03.

The foursome of Thyra Hoareau, Anielle Gabriel, Lania Marengo and Liza Malbrook helped the Pointe Larue Primary School lower the girls U10 4x60m relay old record of 38.75 seconds to 38.29 seconds.

Dayen Finesse, Laurent Vel, Dario Jeremie and Darren Albert of Pointe Larue Secondary School teamed up to erase the boys U14 4x100m relay record with a time of 52.57 seconds.  The English River team, who clocked 52.66 seconds for second place, also finished inside the old record time of 53.06 seconds belonging to La Digue Secondary School.

La Digue Secondary School fielded Hannsa Mahoune, Tiva Uranie, Joanna Rose and Virginie Nibourette in the girls U16 4x100m relay and they did not disappoint, getting a new record of 52.93 seconds. The old best of 53.14 seconds belonged to Beau Vallon Secondary School.

Strongman Alvin Nassib of the Seychelles Institute of Technology (SIT) pulverized the only record on the field with a big throw of 12.72m in the boys open category shot putt throw, relegating previous record holder Christopher Esparon of the School of A’Level Studies (SALS) into second place with 11.09m. Esparon’s old record stood at 11.22m.

G. G.