NATIONAL RECORDS are set to fall by the wayside from today, as the island’s top junior and senior swimmers prepare to take to the water for the Barbados Amateur Swimming Association Long Course National Championships, scheduled to take place at the Aquatic Centre, Wildey, until Sunday.
An official qualifying event for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, swimmers and coaches have been meticulously planning and executing their training programmes since the beginning of the long course (50M pool configuration) season in January, with the aim of producing some of the best swimming times Barbados has ever seen.
With over 200 swimmers varying in ages from six to 24 years taking to the pool, spectators and swimming fans will have their eyes glued to the water.
Among the top male swimmers are Akeem Nurse, Alex Sobers, Damon St Prix, Luis-Sebastian Weekes, Jack Kirby and Nkosi Dunwoody, while Zabrina Holder, Amara Gibbs, Hanna Gill, Alexis Clarke, McKayla Treasure, Danielle Titus and Aza Dunwoody are among the girls.
Barbados Aquatic Centre Facility Manager and former Olympian, Andrei Cross said: “Coming off the back of a great year in 2013, we begin a concentrated season of meets with the Long Course Nationals, and follow on with CARIFTA, the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC), the Youth Olympics, Commonwealth Games and CAC [Central Games.”
With the Aquatic Centre being the only Olympic sized swimming pool in operation on island Cross noted: “the next 18 months will be an exciting journey for the swimming fraternity in Barbados, as we prepare to not only host the regional CISC meet at the end of June, but we also have our sights set on celebrating the 25th year of operation of the Aquatic Centre in November.”
The action begins at 5:30 p.m. each day. (PR)
