RELEASED: Tuesday, April 8, 2008

UW-Stevens Point's Forsythe to Compete at World Swimming Championships

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point swimmer Vaughn Forsythe (Fr.-Coral Springs, FL/North Broward Prep) will represent the Barbados National Swim Team this week at the ninth FINA World Swimming Championships in Manchester, England.

Forsythe has competed for Barbados the last seven years and successfully represented his country at several of the major swim meets in the Caribbean and the South American region, including the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships, the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, and also at the Caribbean and Central American Games. In all of those events, Forsythe has participated in the finals or finished in the top eight.

Forsythe has also gained national champion status at the Barbados National Long Course Championships when he won the 1,500-meter freestyle, 400-meter Individual Medley and 200-meter freestyle when he was 16 in the 15-17 age group.

At the FINA World Swimming Championships next week in Manchester, Forsythe will compete in the 100-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, and the 400-meter freestyle. “Manchester to me is big steps because it will be my first big international swim meet and I will be racing against the best in the world, which is a dream that I have had since the age of about 13,” Forsythe said.

Forsythe gives a lot of credit to UW-Stevens Point Head Coach Al Boelk and Associate Head Coach Justin Stoffel for giving him the encouragement and the wisdom to be prepared and ready for the championships.

The FINA World Swimming Championships will take place from April 9-13 at M.E.N Arena. It will be the first world swimming championships of its kind to be held in the United Kingdom. There will be 800 athletes from 130 different countries that will be in Manchester for the five day event.

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