Swimmers bow into action at World Aquatics Champs tomorrow
Published:Saturday | February 10, 2024 | 12:08 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s swimmers will bow into action at the World Aquatics Championship in Doha, Qatar tomorrow and United Kingdom-born swimmer Jessica Calderbank will get things going in the 100m butterfly.
Four swimmers are representing Jamaica at the championships, Emily McDonald, Sidrell Williams, British-based Josh Kirlew, and Calderbank.
Calderbank, who will be contesting the 50m and 100m butterfly, opens with the longer event tomorrow. She has a personal best of 1:0.25 in the 100m butterfly, which makes her the second-fastest Jamaican of all time behind Alia Atkinson’s national record of 59.94 seconds.
She also has a mark of 26.72 seconds in the 50m butterfly, a time she set in winning the British Summer Nationals 18 and over gold medal, which also makes her the second-fastest Jamaican woman in history in the event.
Hilary Brown Nixon, vice-president for swimming at the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), believes Calderbank, who is making her debut for Jamaica at the championship, is capable of doing well.
“We recognised that she has performed at a very high level at the British championships this past summer, making finals and with some very high-level performances, and we expect her to do well at the World championship. I think the future is very bright with Jessica and the others,” Brown Nixon said.
McDonald will compete in the 50m and 100m freestyle, Williams will participate in the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle, while Kirlew will contest the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.
Brown Nixon said the main objective of the athletes is to improve their personal times.
“In terms of expectations, the athletes are coming off significant preparation and we are expecting personal bests from many of them.
“Once they can represent us at the level and put in the work and achieve some personal best times, we will be grateful for their performances and that would put them in good stead to get closer to Olympic Games qualification standards,” she commented.
Kirlew, like Calderbank, is making his Jamaica debut at the championship, and Brown Dixon also expects him to do well as he is a ‘bright prospect’.
“We are happy to have him and Jessica with us and we are happy to have them continue their level of performance to get to the Olympics,” the ASAJ vice-president said.