IN what was described as the "biggest meet of their lives" four young Bermudians fly off to Brazil today to compete at the first-ever FINA World Junior Swimming Championships. And while Bermuda's swimming officials do not expect the youngsters to bring back any medals, they said that the experience would be huge for them in terms of experiencing a major meet.

Coach Ben Smith, who will be travelling with the four swimmers, said that they are even young for a World Junior Championships.

"Swimmers can be up to 18 years old for the World Juniors and all of our swimmers will only be 14 or 15 years old when the competition starts on Tuesday," said Smith.

Flying the flag for Bermuda will be Rebecca Sharpe, Nick Thomson, Lara Loescher and Eleanor Gardner.

"There is a vast difference between 18 and 14 years old. But what we want is for them to get the experience of swimming against competition at that level. This is most definitely the biggest meet they have ever been in ? it will be their first time against world competition. They will be going up against the best of Australia, South Africa, Holland and now Brazil are a major power in swimming."

Smith said he was impressed with the young Bermudians as they had to qualify in "an age group above their level".

"We set a high standard and they all achieved it," he said.

Thomson qualified at Bermuda's national championships while Loescher and Gardner also qualified locally while Sharpe qualified locally and then at the CARIFTA Games this year.

All four swimmers won medals at the 2006 CARIFTA Games. "Nick and Rebecca also medalled in Edmonton this year as well," said the coach.

Sharpe will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 metres backstroke.

Thomson will also compete in the backstroke as well as the sprint freestyle while Gardner will compete in the middle distance freestyle and Loescher will be in the 50 and 100 freestyle sprints and other races.

"All the swimmers have competed and been successful in the Caribbean and Canada but this is a big stage for them ? there will be a lot of stiff competition. We want to give them the chance to see what that big stage is like and hopefully it will prepare them for the major games in the future (Olympics, Pan Am and Commonwealth Games). They will get the jitters and nerves that goes with major games and will get used to them," added Smith.

The World Juniors in Rio next week will be staged at the new facility which has been built for next year's Pan American Games.

Asked what are the chances that these youngsters will be able to compete in the 2007 Pan Am Games, Smith said: "That is a long shot right now. They are all in local schools but the plan is for them to go to university and compete and improve ? like (Olympic swimmer) Kiera Aitken did."

The World Juniors will also be using a new format whereby the heats will be in the evening and the semis and finals will be in the morning the next day.

"It is all because of TV. Swimming is becoming more and more popular," said Smith.

Sharpe is currently training in Florida and as part of her Government grant from the youth scholarships this year, she trained with former Canadian Olympic coach Dave Johnson over the summer.

Smith said: "We sent her to Dave Johnson who was the Canadian national coach for the last four Olympics. He is now retired from the Canada team and has taken over a team out of Alberta. He coached Rebecca for five days and I went up and met her and him and then took her to the Canadian Nationals so she is well prepared.

"She is so young but big and powerful ? we expect big things from her in the future. She has so much talent. These swimmers are the next team of elite athletes and they are coming along quickly."

And they could even be brought along more quickly if Bermuda ever does get the 50 metre pool Government has been promising for so long.

"That is a major stumbling block," said Smith. "We spend three weeks a summer out of Bermuda training in a 50 metre pool and it is quite impressive that we do as well as we have done with training in a 25 metre pool. We really need a 50 metre pool. Everything we do should be geared for them to be racing fast in a 50 metre pool ? and we do not have it. We are behind because of that. When we take them to competition in a 50 metre pool they are looking for the wall and it is not there. People do not realise what a difference it makes."

This past summer Sharpe and Thomson made the finals at the Canadian Nationals.

"That meant they were in the top eight in all of Canada ? that is impressive considering where we are coming from. If we could get the facilities who knows what we could do," said Smith.