The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre will buzz with the electricity of international competition today as the Bahamas will be competing against 22 other countries in the Carifta Swimming Championships.

Team Bahamas looks to improve on its third place finish last year with 610 points and 41 medals - 12 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze. They will be led by current Carifta record holder Dustin Tynes, Dionisio Carey and Evante Gibson on the boys' side, while Bria Deveaux, Taryn Smith and Tremaine Allen lead the list of medal contenders for the girls.

Defending champions Guadeloupe amassed 736.5 points last year and a total of 55 medals - 12 gold, 24 silver and 19 bronze.

Trinidad and Tobago, last year's second place finisher, took the Carifta title the last time it was held in the Bahamas back in 2004. They also won in Jamaica in 2010 and were second last year when the championships were held in Barbados.

Jamaica's 35-member team to the 2012 Carifta Swimming Championships look to improve on 561 points, 35 medals and fourth place in last year's big event.

In order to do better this time around, this year's team features seven overseas-based swimmers.

Barbados finished fifth last year with 560 points and the most gold medals in the meet (21). Their 20-member team is made up of local and regional division champions, national youth awardees, national division and open record achievers, national best achievers, national outstanding overall achievers and features 12 female and eight male swimmers.

The first staging of Carifta swimming took place in 1989 organised by the Amateur Swimming Associations. The championship was broadened to include the disciplines of water polo and synchronized swimming in the year 2002.

The Bahamas has previously hosted in 2001 and 2004.