The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Aquatics is expected to field a four-member team to compete at the 2021 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m).

Olympians Joanna Evans and Izaak Bastian along with Lilly Higgs and Lamar Taylor will represent the Bahamas during the week long event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Evans will compete in the 200 freestyle (December 16) and 400 freestyle (December 19). Bastian swims in the 100 breaststroke (December 16) and 50 breaststroke (December 20), Higgs swims the 50 breaststroke (December 16) and 100 breaststroke (December 19) while Taylor competes in the 50 free (December 18) and 100 freestyle (December 20)

Evans had an active fall season in the International Swimming League as a member of DC Trident. She highlighted the campaign when she lowered the 200m free national record.

The former Texas Longhorn finished second in Playoff Match Five to earn seven points for her team toward their fourth-place finish in the final team standings.

Bastian, the Florida State Seminoles senior, placed first in all of his events at the TYR Fall Classic, including meet records in the 400 medley relay, 100 breast (54.34), and 200 medley relay along with winning performances in the 200 free relay and 200 breast (2:01.33).

Taylor, a sophomore at Henderson State, recently represented The Bahamas at inaugural Junior Pan American Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Higgs, the North Carolina Tar Heel senior, got off to an impressive start this fall with three three-podium finishes in her first meet of the season.

The FINA World Swimming Championships will host the world’s best ‘short course’ swimmers to compete across six-days and 44 events.

The Etihad Arena is a brand new multi-purpose facility which event organisers say has the ability to host family-oriented entertainment.The event was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Several FINA member nations have withdrawn from this year’s event due to concerns of the surging omicron variant.

FINA has confirmed that 937 swimmers are gearing up to compete in the World Swimming Championships and an additional 197 in various events of the aquatics festival.

President Husain Al-Musallam spoke at the opening press conference. He said that the protocols and measures in place are sufficient to successfully stage the event and host its participants.