David Mc Leod and Jabari Baptiste will spearhead a 34-member team selected by the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT) on Tuesday to represent this country at the 29th Carifta Swimming Championships next month.
The team was selected following the conclusion of the National Age-Group Long Course Swimming Championships hosted by the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T at Marlins Swimming Pool, Morne Coco Road, Westmoorings on Sunday night.
The one-week championships splash off from April 21-27 at the Piscina Olimpico Roly Bislik, Oranjestad, Savaneta, the same venue as in 2009.
On Sunday last, Mc Leod of Atlantis Aquatics and Baptiste of Marlins used the Long Course, which served as a qualifier for the Carifta Swim meet, and Caribbean Islands Swimming Championship which is carded for Barbados in July, to also book tickets to the Nanjing, China Youth Olympics, by bettering qualifying times in the 15-17 boys 50m freestyle.
Mc Leod won the event in 23.98 seconds while Baptiste took silver in 24.20 as they both dipped under the B standard qualifying time while attaining Carifta A and B marks as well.
Also in the swim squad is Jada Chia of Atlantis, the standout swimmer at the Long Course with no fewer than 12 Carifta qualifying times attained and North American-based Alexandria Donahue.
T&T will also be represented in the Open Water swim where the girls 15-17 trio of David sisters, Syriah and Shania, and Theana Hay are medal contenders.
Last year in Jamaica, Syriah won the 15-17 Open Water gold while Hay got silver, and Shania won silver in the 13-14 category, and Christian Marsden, bronze in the boys' equivalent.
For the swim team, Marlins' Mark Pouchet will serve as head coach while former ASATT president, Hazel Haynes of Tidal Wave Aquatics has been appointed coach of the Open Water team.
The duo of Brian Wickham (Centre of Excellence Sea Hawks) and Chabeth Haynes (Tidal Wave) are also part of the coaching staff which will be managed by former national swimmer, Shastri Sankar.
The Carifta Championships is expected to be a very competitive one as it will serve as an official qualifying meet for the 16th FINA World Championships 2015 which will be held in Kazan, Russia.
It has already been approved as a qualifying meet for Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Veracruz, Mexico and the Youth Olympic Games.
In Aruba, T&T will be aiming for its first team title since 2010 in Jamaica after it ended second on the medal table with a haul of 51 (22 gold, 16 silver and 13 bronze), 13 behind Guadeloupe (17 gold, 28 silver and 19 bronze) while Aruba was third with 50 (21 gold, 17 silver and 12 bronze). It was the third straight win for Guadeloupe.
Swim teams
T&T Carifta Swimming team:
Open Water:
13-14 Boys: Christian Marsden, Kael Yorke, James Gillette
15-17 Boys: Jivan Chee Foon, Christian Gillette, Kyle Caracciolo
15-17 Girls: Syriah David, Theana Hay, Shania David
Swimmers:
11-12 Girls: Jada Chai, Jahmia Harley, Vrisnelit Faure, Deshor Edwards, Sabrina David
11-12 Boys: Gabriel Bynoe, Aqeel Joseph, Josiah Duke, Luke Gillette, Jae-Hwa Lee Wing, Jean-Mark Granderson
13-14 Girls: Amira Pilgrim
13-14 Boys: Justin Samlalsingh, Kael Yorke, Christian Marsden, Osaze Riley, James Gillette, Jeron Thompson, Dario Omiss, Christopher Mohammed
15-17 Girls: Kristin Julien, Ariel Cape, Syriah David, Alexandria Donahue
15-17 Boys: David Mc Leod, Jabari Baptiste, Jeron O'Brien, Jonathan Farah, Joshua Ramkissoon