With budgetary issues now behind them, members of Jamaica’s team to the 35th Carifta Swimming Championships are fully focused on delivering results at the four-day event in Barbados.

The 34 swimmers and technical staff are set to depart the island today and will bow into pool action on Saturday, before closing out this edition with open water competition next Tuesday.

Head Coach Wendy Lee is confident that the team’s hard work and preparation will prove beneficial at these championships.

“I am exited that we have over 10 debutants on the team which shows that our sport continues to develop and foster young talent. So I believe that the swimmers selected have the talent, strength of character and determination to represent our country in a manner that will make all Jamaicans proud,” Lee told the Jamaica Observer.

With the psych sheet revealing that Jamaica’s swimmers and their rivals from across the region are basically on level terms coming out of the height of the pandemic, Lee is aware that grit and unwavering concentration will play a big part in the swimmers’ delivery.

“As always, the Jamaica Carifta team is loaded with talent, but I believe that these games will be a competition of guts and determination and the swimmers who have had the most access to pools and training times and the least lockdowns will have the advantage,” she said.

“Our 11-12 swimmers have national team experience as most have competed at the Goodwill Games when they were in younger age groups. Our 13-14 boys and girls are very strong and focused and so I’m expecting them to do well and gain much-needed points in some of the most challenging events,” Lee added.

However, the long-time coach is anticipating most of the points to come from the seniors in the 15-17 age group. Eight of those athletes will age out of Carifta in 2023 and, as such, are aiming to go out with a bang.

“I have high expectations for our 15-17 girls and believe that they will be hard to beat. The 15-17 boys will be challenged by Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamas, but with the r

— Sherdon Cowan