A confident squad of 20 experienced and young talented swimmers left Barbados for Aruba yesterday to compete in the CARIFTA Swim Championships.
Barbados, who are looking to better the 42 medals they won in Jamaica last year, will be joined by the United States-based “veteran” Christian Selby.
Another major medal haul is expected from Selby as well as Amara Gibbs and Zabrina Holder, who will be competing in their final CARIFTA.
The newcomers to the 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 a 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 events 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.
Team manager Andrea Titus said that the strength and balance of the team suggested 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 Antonio Petrolanda. Samantha Clarke is the chaperone with Titus managing the squad. The team returns on Saturday.
