5 months ago
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WITH THE post-Alia Atkinson Olympic era now truly a reality, Jamaican swimmers are busy preparing for their last chance at Olympic qualification, starting in July.
For five straight Olympics, Jamaica was certain of a swimming representative at the Olympic Games, with Atkinson participating from the 2004 games in Athens to the Tokyo games in 2020.
Although most of the country’s aspiring Olympic swimmers are yet to meet the Olympic qualifying standards, vice-president in charge of swimming at the Aquatic Swimming Association of Jamaica, Hilary Brown Nixon, said that due to changes in the qualification criteria, they expect that the country will continue to be represented in Paris this summer.
“World Aquatics changed the qualification criteria in the last months. You used to have to compete at World Championships to get to the Olympics, but now, they have dropped the requirement for you having to compete at World Championships. So pretty much anybody who is highly competitive could get that spot,” she noted.
There are two ways athletes can qualify. Either they meet the Olympic qualifying standard or they can go via the universality clause, which allows the National Olympic Committees to select their swimmer with the highest World Aquatics points for representation.
“The universality clause refers to the speed and quality of the swimmer, and there are different World Aquatics points depending on the stroke you are swimming.
“So if we do not have people who have reached the qualifying standard, we can go on World Aquatics points.
“So anybody who brings up their points between now and the 23rd of June will potentially be that candidate. So I am sure we will be sending one male and a female, barring extenuating circumstances.
“As to whether they will have achieved the Olympic qualifying time, that remains to be said, but they would still be able to go. But not achieving the Olympic qualifying time then they would be a little less competitive but still eligible to compete,” she explained.
On the men’s side, the nation’s biggest prospect is Josh Kirlew, with Sidrell Williams, Kito Campbell, Nathaniel Thomas, Colin McKenzie, and Kaheem Lozer as fairly strong contenders as well.
Sabrina Lyn leads the women’s charge along with UK-based Jessica Calderbank and Emily McDonald.
“At this point we do not have any clear frontrunners, but Sabrina Lyn is the highest-marked female and Josh Kirlew for the males, but that can change with just one swim.
“But everybody is a little bit close, so we will not know until further down towards the latter part of June. So any number can play,” added Brown Nixon.
The final qualifying swim meets take place between mid-June and June 23.
This includes the Central American & Caribbean Swimming Confederation championship, an Olympic qualification event in Bahamas from June 17-22, as well as a number of events in the United States.
English (US) ·