Julian Fletcher had a day to remember at the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships in Barbados yesterday.

The 23-year-old won a gold medal, set a new meet and national record and qualified for this year’s Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico all in the same event.

Fletcher captured a second gold medal in as many days at the ongoing championships after winning the boys’ 18 and over 200 breaststroke.

His impressive time of 2min 22.71sec eclipsed the meet record, which he set in 2012, and also the national record previously held by Chris Flook that had stood for more than two decades. His winning time also met the A qualifying standard for the CAC Games.

Twenty-four hours earlier Fletcher won the gold medal in the 100 breaststroke which he also holds the meet record in.

He said: “I am really pleased with the 200 I swam today and also the 100 yesterday [Thursday]. It has all been going really well and right now I am looking to peak at the Commonwealth Games.

“This is a good meet to come to prepare for the Games and a good confidence booster.”

Ben Smith, the Bermuda coach, added: “It was a great swim and Julian was much happier with the way he performed in the 200 breast than he was in the 100 breast because he is really trying to get his stroke together for Commonwealth Games.

“He was happy with the way that performance went and it showed him what he can do with a little bit of rest going into Commonwealth Games. So for him the result is not as important as how he swam — and he swam really well.”

Fletcher’s medal winning exploits was one of several by team Bermuda yesterday.

Also standing proudly on the podium were Jesse Washington, Rebecca Heyliger and Lisa Blackburn.

Washington won the gold in the boys’ 13-14 200 freestyle, Heyliger took the bronze in the 18 and over 100 butterfly while Blackburn won bronze in the girls’ 18 and over 200 breaststroke.

“The team is performing really well and everyone is in great spirits,” Smith added. “They are doing well as a team and obviously feeding off each other with the performances.”

Bermuda has so far won eight medals at these championships.

Day one also saw Shannon Hassell win gold in the girls’ 13-14 100 backstroke while Ethan Daley and Blackburn won bronze in the boys’ 11-12 100 backstroke and girls’ 18 and over 100 breaststroke.

Blackburn’s time of 1:14.16 was the fastest she has swam over the distance this season but more than two seconds slower than the meet record of 1:12.01 which she set two years ago.

Ashley Irby, Hassell and Daley all set personal bests.

Irby swam 1:14.14 in the girls 11-12 100 backstroke final, Hassell went 28:59 in the girls 13-14 50 freestyle final, her time qualifying her for Canadian age groups, while Daley swam a 1:10.55 in the 100 backstroke qualifying heat.