Nigel Simon
Top local swimming duo, Olympic bronze medal winner George Bovell III and World Youth Olympic silver and bronze medallist, Dylan Carter continue their 2016 Rio Olympic Games preparations when they compete at the Arena Pro Swim Series from today.
The three-day meet featuring some of the top swimmers in the USA including US Olympic champions Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte, and record gold medallists Michael Phelps takes place at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Centre, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
The 32-year-old Bovell III, also a two-time World Championship bronze medal winner will be returning to action for the first time since the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada in July where he captured bronze in the men's 50m freestyle final.
It was his fifth Pan American Games medal won, after picking up two golds and two silver in his previous appearances.
A former Auburn University stand-out swimmer, Bovell was then expected to compete at the 16th FINA World Championship in Kazan, Russia (July 24-August 9).
However, he joined a star studded list of athletes who did not compete at the Championships and followed the four-time Olympian's withdrawal from last December's 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Doha, Qatar due to personal reasons.
Bovell, who was a five-time NCAA champion also opted out of this year's FINA Swimming World Cup Circuit events, and after some intense traing over the past few months will make his much anticipated return today.
The Canadian-born Bovell a 25-time All American Honour Roll student will face the starter in the men's 100m breaststroke today from 11.46am before he compete in his pet event, the 50m freestyle tomorrow (Friday) from 11.43 am
The 19-year-old Carter, a University of Southern California All-American is sitting out of the coming NCAA season in order to prepare for the 2016 Olympic year.
Carter was the only T&T swimmer to make a semifinal in Kazan where he placed 15th in semis of the 50metres butterfly, and also competed in the 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly.
With the Trojans, Carter scored at NCAAs in both the 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle last year as a sophomore and perhaps best known for his relay heroics in the meet's last event, running down NC State for a national title for USC in the 400 free relay.
He also swam on the winning 800 free relay.
Also, a silver medal winner in the men's 50m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championship, Carter has to hit a FINA "A" cut in order to qualify.
Today, he will line up in the men's 200m freestyle from 11am before facing the starter in the 100m backstroke tomorrow from noon, and the 100m freestyle on Saturday at 1.15 pm.
