The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER turning in stellar performances at the CARIFTA Games and the Pan American Games, the Bahamas Swimming Federation is looking to make a splash at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The BSF, still basking in their recognition as the Federation of the Year after repeating as CARIFTA champions with honours going to Algernon Cargill as the President of the Year, Andy Loveitt as the Coach of the Year and Joanna Evans as the Junior Female Athlete of the Year, is hoping to continue their success this year with the Olympics being the marquee event for 2016.

So far, the federation has four swimmers who have attained the qualifying standards, although only Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace has achieved the automatic marks in the 50 and 100 metres freestyle and the 100m butterfly as she prepares for her third trip to the four-yearly global competition. She made her debut in 2008 in Beijing, China, before she returned in London, England in 2012 where she became the first Bahamian swimmer to make it to a final, finishing eighth in the 50m freestyle.

The others, Vereance Elvis Burrows (50m free), who will be looking for his second appearance and both Dustin Tynes (100m breaststroke) and Joanna Evans (800m free), preparing for their debut, have hit the B standard, but they will have to achieve the A marks in order to book their tickets to Rio.

“We expect that they will continue to improve their performances and be invited to the Olympic Games because B times do not automatically qualify one to go to the games,” Cargill said. “Only the A times automatically guarantees a spot. FINA wants to reduce the number of swimmers in the Olympic Games.”

Cargill said the three swimmers are looking to lower their times in order to join Vanderpool-Wallace on the Bahamas team that is expected to feature athletes in track and field and boxing. As for Vanderpool-Wallace, Cargill said she’s looking forward to winning a medal and the federation will do whatever is necessary to ensure that she is put in the right position to compete at her best.

“We are going to do all we can to support her,” Cargill said.

In addition to the Olympics, the BSF is also looking at defending their two-time title at the CARIFTA Games in Martinique in April where they hope to have a number of swimmers step up to take over from where Evans left last year when she closed out her junior career by setting three games records, one of which was also a Bahamas national senior record.

Two water polo teams will also accompany the swim team to Martinique as they continue to develop the sport.

Then in June, for the first time, the BSF will host the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships. It’s a large international meet that includes the English and Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean as well as the French and Dutch. The meet will also feature 18-and-over swimmers, which means that the Bahamas’ top swimmers will get chance to compete as it will be a qualifier for the Olympics. The Bahamas has never won the CISC, but Cargill said it will definitely be a feather in their cap if they can pull this one off at home.