Guyana’s Raekwon Noel announced himself as the new king of the pool at the Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte, delivering a historic double-gold performance that shattered records and cemented his place in Guyanese sporting history.
The Swimming sensation was simply untouchable across two electrifying evenings of competition, rewriting the record books and becoming the first Guyanese man to breach the two-minute barrier in the 200m Individual Medley.
Noel launched his campaign in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, cruising through the heats of the Men’s 200m Individual Medley with a victory in heat one, stopping the clock at 2:01.73.
But it was in Tuesday’s final that Noel truly announced his arrival on the regional stage.
In a display of sheer dominance, he touched the wall at 1:59.35, shattering both the Guyanese national record and the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games record. Mexico’s Humberto Najera (2:00.07) and Guatemala’s Erick Gordillo (2:01.29) were left to settle for silver and bronze, respectively.
‘It’s just an incredible feeling,’ Noel said after his historic swim. ‘I’d just like to say thank you to everyone back in Guyana for your support. I mean, I’m not on any social media right now, but I know the comments are flooding with love, and I’m really thankful to be a part of the entire story Guyana has to offer.’
The 20-year-old wasn’t finished there. Returning to the pool on Wednesday, Noel blazed through the 200m Butterfly heats, clocking 1:59.52 to qualify as the fastest swimmer, ahead of Puerto Rico’s Andres Brooks (2:00.54) and El Salvador’s Rodrigo Ventura (2:00.98).
In Wednesday’s final, Noel delivered another masterclass, touching the board at 1:56.82 to secure his second gold medal of the Games.
The performance came agonisingly close to his own national record of 1:56.62, set just last month at the TYR Pro Swim Series.
Venezuela’s Manuel Diaz (1:58.07) claimed silver, while Mexico’s Rafael Rizpe and Puerto Rico’s Andres Brooks shared bronze after both clocked identical times of 1:58.77.
For Noel, the victories represent more than personal glory. The young swimmer is already looking toward the future and the legacy he hopes to build.
‘We have so much potential; you know we have great athletes in the future too,’ Noel reflected. ‘I just want to be a role model for as many Guyanese as possible to see that this is something that anyone can achieve, and you can do it any day.’