Sponsor representatives and competitiors at the media launch for the Mayberry All Island Swim Meet on Wednesday.
Some of Jamaica’s finest young swimmers will gather at the National Aquatics Centre at the National Stadium in Kingston on March 15 and 16 to compete in the 26th staging of the Mayberry All Island Swim Meet.
The meet will see 1080 athletes taking part in total representing 38 Preparatory Schools and 28 High Schools.
“We are very excited about this partnership with Mayberry and we’re looking forward to some great competition. The athletes are very excited and we’re looking for some records as well as a great turnout,” said Aquatics Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) President Lance Rochester speaking to SportsMax.tv at the launch of the meet on Wednesday.
This meet is also serving as a vehicle for some of the competing athletes to fine-tune their skills in preparation for the Carifta Swimming Championships set for March 28-April 7 in Nassau.
“A number of the athletes who are on the Carifta Games team for Bahamas later this month are using this as a final tune-up event to get some competition sharpening prior to that event,” Rochester said.
Title sponsors Mayberry Investments Limited have been partnering with the ASAJ since 1999. Other sponsors for the meet include Couples Resorts, Supreme Ventures Limited, Ultra Financier, FirstRock Real Estate Investments Limited, Matrix Group, Iron Rock and Stewarts.
“Sponsors and partners are absolutely critical. We can’t do events like these without them. We can’t plan effectively or budget effectively without them so we’re very grateful for that support,” Rochester said.
He also discussed plans for Jamaica to eventually expand to competing in other aquatic disciplines.
“Swimming is now moving towards expanding. We want to provide more opportunities, first at the learning to swim level where we believe all children have a right to learn how to swim. We also want to expand to the other aquatic disciplines. Swimming is the core but we have seven other aquatic disciplines which still have so much untapped potential and, over time, we believe that we’ll be laying the foundation towards producing the elite-level results at the world stage that all Jamaicans want to see,” he said.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Adam Peaty insists he arrives in Paris ready to "attack" a third-straight Olympic triumph in the 100m breaststroke
Peaty, who is a 16-time European Champion, won his first gold medal for Team GB in 2016, the first by a British male in 24 years, and has held the title ever since.
He became the first British swimmer ever to retain an Olympic title in Tokyo, and is eyeing a hat-trick of titles.
The 29-year-old also holds the world records in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke, yet getting to the Paris Olympics was far from straightforward.
From 2014 to 2022, Peaty was unstoppable, breaking the 100m record on five occasions while also claiming several world, European and Commonwealth titles.
But with the world at his feet, things came crashing down. In fact, was it not for this Olympics, he may never have returned to the pool.
“If it wasn’t for the Olympics I don’t think I’d be still swimming,” Peaty told Eurosport. “I’m going to attack for this title, not defend.
“I think I’ve cracked the code of balance, but also being able to train really hard for very long periods of time, knowing when I burn out or I’m pushing too hard, and listening to my team at the same time.
“So I think this is my favourite time to train but I also had to take three or four months off from the sport completely because I burned out.
“It cost me that kind of training period, but without that I would have just done the same old stuff and probably wouldn’t have even made it to the Olympics or the Olympic qualifiers, because I’d have completely burned out from the sport.
“People see the end result, they’ll see you race or compete at the end of the day, but they won’t see the years and years and years of hard mornings, hard evenings, thousands of metres, gym sessions in the freezing cold.
“People don’t see that stuff, they only see the 1%, if that. It’s 0.1%.”
But in Peaty's absence, a new force has taken the pool by storm, with China’s Qin Haiyang establishing himself as the dominant force.
Haiyang won the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke at the 2023 World Championships, becoming the second-fastest man in 100m history behind Peaty.
Peaty returned to claim bronze at the World Championships this year and then won the British trials in April in a time of 57.94s.
“I’ve been given a gift that I put myself in extreme pain for a very long time and quite enjoy it,” he continued. “Not many people can do that.
“I enjoy the hard work because it keeps me busy. It has to be hard all the time.
“That’s the most powerful thing. You don’t do it for the Olympic glory, you don’t do it for the medals, you do it to recognise the gift that you’ve been given.
“If I know I’ve worked the hardest and I get to the start line at the Olympics and I couldn’t have done anything more that gives me peace, because win or lose you’ll be happy because you’ve enjoyed the journey.”
Haitian swimmer Alex Grand'Pierre gushes over opening ceremony outfit for 2024 Paris Olympics
Haitian swimmer Alex Grand'Pierre believes his Olympic team will be the best-dressed at tonight's Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics after receiving his stunning outfit, designed by celebrated Italian designer Stella Jean. Known for her vibrant and culturally rich creations, Stella Jean, who has partial Haitian heritage, has crafted an ensemble that has left Grand'Pierre and his teammates in awe.
In an Instagram reel, Grand'Pierre revealed the colourful outfit, which includes pants inspired by Haitian artwork titled "The Passage," a matching scarf, and black and white shoes. Overwhelmed with excitement, he exclaimed, "I think we might win Best Dressed."
Addressing Stella Jean directly in his post, Grand'Pierre said, "You knocked it out of the park! I am so excited to wear this outfit. Actually seeing it in person and knowing that I am going to be wearing it tomorrow (Friday), I'm super, super excited. My first Olympics, but to be wearing this, it feels super special, so thank you for your incredible design."
Jean, renowned for her work that often reflects her diverse heritage, will personally dress the Haitian athletes competing in the games. Her designs are expected to capture the attention of spectators and fellow athletes alike, showcasing the rich cultural tapestry of Haiti.
A senior at Bowdoin College, Grand'Pierre is a multi-time New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) champion, an NCAA Division III All-American, and a Haitian record holder.
He qualified for the Paris Games in the 100m breaststroke following a first-place finish (1:02.39) at the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships (CCCAN) in June. His event's competition begins on July 27th at the Paris Aquatics Centre.
Grand'Pierre follows in the footsteps of his older sisters, Naomy (2016 Rio Games) and Emilie (2020 Tokyo Games). Naomy is now the coach for the Haitian swim team.
The opening ceremony is set to get underway just after noon (Jamaica time); 1 pm EST.
Daley and Glover confirmed as Team GB flagbearers at Paris Olympics
Tom Daley and Helen Glover have been confirmed as Team GB's flagbearers for Friday's opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics.
Daley is set to become the first British diver to compete in five Games, having come out of retirement to compete in Tokyo three years ago.
The four-time Olympic medallist is the defending champion in the men’s 10-metre synchronised diving event and will defend his title alongside team-mate Noah Williams.
Glover won the coxless pairs gold in both London and Rio and has come out of retirement at 38 to compete in her fourth Olympic Games.
“My dad would not have ever believed I would be a flag bearer one day,” Daley said.
“He always considered flag bearers to be Olympic icons and legends. I think he would be so incredibly proud of me being a flag bearer of Team GB.”
An Olympian at the age of 14 in Beijing, Daley won gold alongside Matty Lee in Tokyo to add to three bronze medals he has achieved in individual and synchronised 10-metre events.
“This Olympics is something I would consider to be a bonus Olympics," said Daley.
"This Olympics has been about enjoying it, embracing every moment and taking everything in as much as I can. To be flagbearer too is just the icing on the cake."
Glover will compete in Paris as part of the women’s four.
She became the first mother to row for Great Britain at the Olympics when she finished fourth alongside Polly Swann in the women's pairs in Tokyo four years ago.
“I just love the Olympics and have always loved what it stood for. But I still pinch myself that I am an Olympian, let alone doing something that I just saw as going down in history.
“To be flag bearer for a nation, it’s an honour. You can work hard to become an Olympian but this is bestowed upon me by somebody else who has seen that hard work. That just means so much.”
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