Dylan Carter, Kimberlee John-Williams, Joshua Romany and Christian Homer will all be in action today when T&T's begin its defence of its title at the 25th edition of the Carifta Swimming, Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming Championship at the Independence Park National Stadium Pool, Kingston, Jamaica, from 9 am (10 am TT time). Last year in Aruba, T&T swimmers topped the medal table with 67 medals (31 gold, 14 silver , 22 bronze) for 815.5 points and once again they will have to contend with 13 other countries to retain the crown. It was T&T's first Carifta crown since 2004 and 19th overall.
Back then the outstanding performers were Carter (eight gold medals and three meet records), John-Williams (six gold), England-based Christian Homer (three gold) and Joshua Ronany (two gold). Today, John-Williams, who competed in the 13-14 age-group last year, will face the starter in the preliminary heats for the 15-17 Girls' 50 metres backstroke along with Makayla Armstrong; while Homer and Cadell Lyons compete in the boys' equivalent. In the 13-14 age-group 50 metres backstroke heats, Kristin Julien, Bryanna Duncan, Romany and Keegan Boisson-Yates will be in action. US-based Tyla Martin makes her debut in the 11-12 category along with compatatriots Katherine Keane, Revash Ramtahal and Jabari Baptiste.
In the 100 metres butterfly heats, John-Williams, Kadeja Phillip, Homer and Lyon will seek glory in the 15-17 Division; Duncan, Carter and Romany compete in the 13-14 age-group, and the quartet of Martin, Syriah David, Baptiste and Joshua Ramkissoon line up in the 11-12 bracket. T&T will also have a numbert of swimmers facing the starter in the 200 metres breaststroke splash - David, Jessica Gay, Christian Gillette, Sachin Sankar, Rejan Chin, Samantha Rahael, Abraham Mc Leod, Ryan Rigues, Jeron O'Brien and Blaine Sobrian.
Rahael and Armstrong will also line up in the 800 metres freestyle heats while Stefan Sharpe and Jonathan Gonzalez will take to the water in the 1,500 metres freestle.
Yesterday, the T&T swimmers, who arrived in Jamaica on Thursday night after a five hour flight delay in Piarco International Airport, got in its first practice sessionat the Kingston pool after getting to their hotels at 1.45 am.