To say that Jamaica’s young swimmers are relishing the return of competitive swimming would be an understatement.

In fact, if the times being produced after just three weekends back in action are anything to go by, then the rising stars are all but ready to take on rivals at the Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) championships.

However, while they are getting their physical preparations on point, some swimmers, particularly those in the 15-17 age group, are also mentally preparing for Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations. This has left the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) in a bind where team selection is concerned for the June 23-27 event in Puerto Rico.

Though welcoming the two-week extension by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to now have exams start on June 28, the 14-day quarantine period upon return to the island is one obstacle facing the ASAJ.

Still, Georgia Sinclair, vice-president of swimming, revealed that the Martin Lyn-led administration will include all age groups in its team selection process today, to be ratified at a special council meeting tomorrow.

“This team will include all age groups, including the 15-17 and 18 and over swimmers. So we will be selecting a balanced team. However, the decision of those in the 15-17 and 18 and over age groups to participate at CCCAN will be based on…their CSEC and CAPE exams schedule,” Sinclair told the Jamaica Observer.

“The challenge we face is that even though CXC has been pushed back, when the kids return they would have to adhere to the 14-day quarantine period, which means they wouldn’t be able to sit exams. So on one hand we are happy with the pushback, but on the other hand it’s still a sticky situation,” she added.

The fact that parents will have to shoulder most, if not all of the financial burden to get swimmers on the trip, also poses another issue of numbers for the ASAJ.

“The cost to participate per swimmer is also going to be a factor for parents, as Puerto Rico requires a three-day quarantine before we can go about business. So instead of a trip that should be seven nights, the team has to spend 10 nights which would be additional expenses.

“The setback therefore is not just as it relates to the 15 and over age group, so the team we send may be much smaller than in the past,” Sinclair noted.

On another note, Sinclair expressed pride and pleasure at the manner in which swimmers have gone about business since returning to the pool for the ASAJ Time Trials.

She believes the national records, personal bests (PB) and, by extension, the Pan American (Pan Am) Junior B cuts clocked so far are testament of the work done behind the scenes by coaches and swimmers in the height of the novel coronavirus pandemic which once brought sports to a halt.

Leanna Wainwright, Kaheem Lozer, Aliyah Heaven, Christanya Shirley, Nathaniel Thomas, and Kyle Sinclair are some of the standouts from the trials so far.

Heaven, Shirley, Thomas, and Kyle Sinclair have all achieved B standard times for the Pan Am Junior Championships to be held in Cali, Colombia, later this year.

Heaven’s times came in the 50m and 100m freestyle, with her Tornadoes teammate, Thomas, achieving his times in the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke.

Shirley of Y-Speedos got her time in the 50m freestyle, while Kyle Sinclair was the latest to join the list when he broke the 24-second barrier, clocking 23.90 in the 50m freestyle.

“I am elated with the times produced by our athletes with the hosting of the ASAJ Time Trials series. It is absolutely amazing that some athletes have produced B standards for the inaugural Junior Pan Am Games,” said Sinclair, who is the mother of Kyle.

“Apart from those accomplishments, overall, I am pleased with the plethora of PBs that we have witnessed thus far and not to mention those swimmers who accomplished the standards for selection for CCCAN. The resilience and competitive spirit displayed are commendable and we are grateful to the relevant authorities who granted the approval for all of this to have been accomplished,” she ended.