A CONFIDENT SQUAD of 20 experienced and young talented swimmers left Barbados for Aruba today to compete in the Carifta Swim championships 2014.
Barbados who are looking to better the 42 medal snared in Jamaica in 2013 will be joined by the United States based “veteran” Christian Selby in Aruba. Another major medal haul is expected from Selby as well as Amara Gibbs and Zabrina Holder who will be competing in their final Carifta Championship.
The newcomers to the Carifta team Margaux Harvey-Read, Nkosi Dunwoody, Ashley Weekes, Zakiyah Weekes and Danielle Titus have all shown great form in the Long Course Nationals and are expected to deliver in Aruba. Lodge School student Weekes could face the quandary in coming years of making a choice between Carifta swimming and athletics.
Alexis Clarke is the lone swimmer to be competing in both the pool and open water event and she is the only female member of the open water team. Clarke will join Nicholas Hall and Kobi Talma in the 5k swim which will take place on Mangel Halto Beach in Aruba.
Manager Andrea Titus indicated that the strength and balance of the team suggest that Barbados could surpass the gold rush in Jamaica with many of the swimmers being expected to score personal and national records.
The full team is: Selby, Holder, Gibbs, Clarke, Talma, Titus, Weekes, Harvey-Read, Dunwoody, Hall, Kimberley Willoughby, Luis Sebastian-Weekes, Damon St. Prix, Jack Kirby, Kent Mullins, Hannah Gill, McKayla Treasure, Rebecca Lashley, Destiny Harding and Alex Sobers.
The head coach is Abdul Shari with the assistant coach being Antonio Petrolanda. Samantha Clarke is the chaperone with Titus managing the squad. The team returns on the 26th. (KB)
