Bermuda will have eight swimmers competing in the XXV Carifta Swimming Championships being staged early next month in Kingston, Jamaica.

Ben Smith, aquatics manager and national coach today of the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association, said: "We have a good mix of swimmers that have been to several Carifta Championships along with swimmers that will be making their first appearance. The team will be travelling to Fort Lauderdale to prepare and have some long-course conversion training.

"We are very excited to see what the athletes will be able to do this year. Last year we had a very successful meet but many of those athletes are too old for the competition this year so the focus is on our current group who have been training very hard and preparing for this meet since the beginning of the season."

Last year the Island's swimmers had a superb Carifta meet and were led by golden girl Rebecca Sharpe who signed off with a hat-trick of golds as Bermuda grabbed their biggest medal haul at the championships which were held in Aruba.

Sharpe is now too old for the Carifta Championships and after last year's meet in Aruba she went on to represent Bermuda at the World Championships in rome.

Sharpe won the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke, all in record times.

Also last year Morgan Hopkins bagged a further two gold medals, as well as a silver and bronze, as the Bermuda team took away an impressive 12 medals overall.

Luckily for Bermuda Hopkins is still eligible for next month;s championships which run from April 3-6.

Last year the Bermuda team also set three Carifta records, two Bermuda Open records and 23 Bermuda age group records.

The swimmers going this year are: Emma Franklin (14-years-old) Sharks Swim Club, Somer Froud (11) Sharks Swim Club, Rebecca Heyliger (17) Sharks Swim Club, Morgan Hopkins (16) Sharks Swim Club, Stephanie Myles (18) Sharks Swim Club, Nicholas Patterson (15) Sharks Swim Club, Nicole Yearwood (18) Harbour Swim Club and Benedict Parfitt (15) Dolphin Swim Club.