The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) is set to make its second international appearance for this season at the 15th FINA World Championship in July.
A three-member team—Niall Roberts, Brittany Van Lange and Earlando McRae—will represent Guyana at the two-week championship which is set to take place at the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona, Spain.
Van Lange of the Bishops’ High School and Roberts, represented Guyana at the Olympic Games in London, last year. McRae has had international exposure at the 11th FINA Youth World Championship in 2005 in Montreal, Canada.
These swimmers were selected by the association following a time trial, which held at the Aquatic Centre on March 30.
According to GASA Vice President Dr Karen Pilgrim, “The time trial we kept was not for the athletes to achieve the standard set out by FINA. It was for us to select the top three swimmers for the championship.”
Selection was done by way of a point system FINA uses at championships, the vice president revealed. The FINA points table or system assigns point values to swimming performances. The base times are defined every year, based on the latest world record approved by FINA.
Pilgrim said FINA will cover the expenses for the three swimmers, one official and the GASA President or a representative to attend the championship.
Commenting on McRae’s return to the pool, she said it was good for the association and the swimmers, especially Roberts. McRae and Roberts are known for competing against each other.
She added that McRae is a swimmer who would always give his best. “He puts his heart into every swim. I think it is hard for any athlete to compete against a clock. In this case he can swim regardless,” she said.
Pilgrim is expecting the selected swimmers to achieve personal best times at the championship while giving their best in their respective events.
The actual events they will compete in at the championship will be revealed in June, according to Pilgrim.
Roberts swims freestyle and butterfly; McRae, breaststroke and freestyle and Van Lange is an all-rounder.
