The island’s elite youth swimmers are eagerly looking forward to representing Team Jamaica at the 38th Carifta Aquatics Championships in Trinidad and Tobago.

The 30-strong swim squad, accompanied by a seven-member management unit, left the island on Wednesday for the April 19-23 Championships, which promises to serve up a treat. They will engage in age-group competition with other athletes from across the Caribbean in various aquatic disciplines.

Ahead of their departure, three of the athletes, along with their parents, stopped at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) headquarters in Kingston, where they received a donation of paper flags to take with them to the competition.

With 45 medals from last year’s games in Nassau, The Bahamas, inclusive of 18 gold, 12 silver, and 15 bronze, and placing fourth on the medal table, expectations are high among the swimmers for another strong showing this year.

Kia Alert, the most outstanding athlete in the girls’ division from last year’s CARIFTA Games, with eight medals, is looking forward to another impressive medal haul.

The young swimming sensation, who was named the 2024 Aquatics Athlete of the Year at the recent RJRGLEANER National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards, has broken age-group national records in the 50-metre freestyle, 50-metre breaststroke, and 100-metre breaststroke.

“Last year I did good. I won the high-point trophy and [the Highest Aqua Point] trophy. I won five gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. It was a fun experience…. I just felt so proud of myself,” Alert, who will compete in the 13-14 age group, told JIS News.

Benjamin Davis, who won two bronze medals last year, is hoping for a better experience this time around. The 15–17 age-group competitor feels that he is better prepared this year after undergoing months of intense training.

"I think that it’s probably the best training that I’ve ever done in my entire life, so I am definitely ready,” Davis said.

Kia Alert

Emanuelle Spence, who competes in the 11–12 age group, is also among the talented group that has their sights set on victory and their hearts full of Jamaican pride.

"It’s been very hard at times training, sometimes six days per week… but it’s preparing us for the competition that’s not going to be easy. I’m very proud, and I’m ready to represent my country to the best of my ability,” Spence declared.

Beyond Carifta, team members will also be competing at the UANA (Panama) Aquatics Championship in May and the Goodwill Games in Barbados in August.