"IT is one of the best batches I have had in 20 years."

So said Richard Goodwin, Bermuda's national swimming coach.

Goodwin was speaking in the wake of Bermuda's team returning from the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Barbados this month.

Four medals were won ? two by Rebecca Sharpe ? and there were six age group records set as well as 30 personal best times clocked.

And that left Goodwin feeling very happy. "It was good going. I was very pleased especially with the personal bests. All the swimmers can see their improvements and can see that the training and effort is all starting to pay off," said Goodwin.

"This group coming up now are very impressive. It is one of the batches I have had in 20 years. I suspect the reason is the fact that most of them are all born around the same time and been competing against each other on a regular basis for five or six years locally and that competition is now branching out to international competitions."

Most of the group are girls and Goodwin said: "They really push each other," adding that the swimmers come from the island's three swim clubs ? Sharks, Harbour and Dolphins.

And Goodwin said don't be surprised to see these youngsters ? all under 17 years old ? competing in the Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games and the Olympics at some point in the near future.

In fact two of the swimmers ? Rebecca Sharpe and Eleanor Gardner ? have qualified for the first ever FINA World Youth Championships.

"They will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August. Hopefully Nick Thomson will be joining them. Right now he needs another qualifying time," said Goodwin.

At the CARIFTA Games Sharpe, Gardner and Thomson all won medals. "Apart from those three, the other stand-out swimmer was 11-year-old Ashley Yearwood who was competing in her first international meet. She made it to six finals events and had two fourth place finishes, just missing out on the medals," said the coach.

Goodwin said that the FINA Youth Championships were for swimmers under 17 years old and Sharpe is only 13 while Gardner is 15. "It is going to be a high quality competition. You are only allowed four males and four females from each country. It is going to be kept small but extremely high calibre. You are going to have the best Australians, the best Americans, the best Dutch, South Africans, Italians ... all the leading swimming nations are going to be there.

"It is important for our swimmers to get this type of international exposure. In fact nothing can match it ? it is an excellent learning experience. You can't ask for anything more significant than going up against the best in the world."

In a few years many of Bermuda's best swimmers who be trying out for college scholarships.

"They are there to be had," said Goodwin. "If I am travelling and I get to meet other coaches ? especially US and Canadian college coaches ? they ask me if I have anyone. There is also a service used by the American Swimming Coaches Association which notes who is at the college age and what their times are."

Goodwin, like most in the swimming fraternity in Bermuda, has been waiting for Government to deliver on an Olympic sized 50 metre pool which will be put in at the National Sports Centre.

"We really need one," he said. "Every time we go overseas to participate in international meets ? which are held in long course pools ? we have to factor in two or three extra days before hand so that we can do our long course conversion. There is a big difference. Who knows what we could accomplish if we could train in a long course pool all year round and be able to go straight into the long course competition."

Right now there is the Saltus pool which is run and maintained by the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association and there is the Warwick Academy pool owned and operated by the school. Both are 25 metre pools and they are coming up to their sell by date.

"The Saltus pool is about 30 years old and the Warwick pool is about the same age but has had renovations. The life of a pool is between 20 and 30 years and these pools are coming up for that date," he said.

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Rebecca Sharpe ? silver, 100 backstroke; silver 200 backstroke

Nick Thomson ? silver, 100 backstroke

Eleanor Gardner ? bronze, 100 freestyle

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Eleanor Gardner ? 800 freestyle

Rebecca Sharpe ? 100 backstroke

Nick Thomson ? 100 backstroke

Ashley Yearwood ? 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly, 400 freestyle

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(From those events with heats and finals)