Mark Pouchet, Jamaica
T&T swimmers and water polo players start their quest for dominance at the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships (CISC) tomorrow at the National Stadium Pool in Kingston, Jamaica.
Late this evening, the opening ceremony of the Games was expected to launch the meet into high gear, with a gala affair welcoming some 550 athletes from 14 Caribbean countries to the Reggae Isle for competition in the swimming, water polo and synchronised swimming disciplines.
But from tomorrow, the formalities on land will give way to some passionate competition in the water of the Olympic-sized pool facility in Kingston.
In the swimming competition, Beijing Olympic qualifier for T&T Sharntelle McLean is expected to do battle with Jamaican Olympic qualifier and homecrowd favourite Alia Atkinson in the Girls 18 & over 100m free and 50m butterfly events.
Also looking to bring T&T some glory tomorrow are FINA World Youth Swimming Championships campaigners Joshua Mc Leod and Cadell Lyons in the Boys 15-17 50m butterfly.
The pair, who arrived on Monday in the first batch of T&T swimmers that also included Christian Homer, Caryl Blondell and Cherelle Thomspon, were 26th and 27th among the world's best swimmers at the Games held in Monterrey, Mexico and once they maintain form, they should complete a gold-silver sweep for T&T in this event.
McLean, arrived in a second batch that comprised five other swimmers, while the third and most significant batch touched down at the Norman Manley airport yesterday afternoon before settling in at the Games village at Rex Nettleford Hall on the UWI Mona Campus with the rest of the team.
One final swimmer, Brittany Stewart will complete T&T's complement of swimmers when she arrives Saturday following her final CAPE exam the previous day.
McLean, who competed at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and is a member of the Coral Springs Swim Club in Florida, USA, will also be joined by her teammate and countrywoman Kimba Collymore in the Girls 18 & over 50m fly event.
Also expected to boost T&T's medal count is Keegan Boisson ad Joshua Romany tomorrow.
They have a full first day with Boisson, the ten-time gold medallist at the Carifta Games back in Aruba in March, having to line-up in the Boys 11-12 200m Individual Medley (IM), 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly.
Romany only misses out in the 200m IM.
Homer, the high point champion for the Boys at the Carifta Games, as well as T&T top distance swimmer Joel Sankar will splash into action in the Boys 15-17 400m IM while Homer also joins Blondell in the 100m free for that age-group.
Also expected to have shots at medal on the first day are Kimberlee John-Williams, Laverne Maxwell, Samantha Rahel, Jarryd Gregoire Thompson, Stefan Mader as well as the 400m freestyle relays for the Boys 18 & Over as the the Boys and Girls 15-17 age-groups.
