In-form swimmer Kiera Aitken has hailed today’s semi-final race as the most consequential of her Games as she bids to secure a coveted final berth.

Aitken, who earlier this week shattered a Bermuda national record, will be testing her mettle in the women’s 100m-backstroke semi-final — the event her Pan-Am hopes are pinned on.

The 23-year-old finished fourth in her heat last night, and ninth overall, with a time of 1.05.18 in front of a partisan Aquatic Park crowd.

In reality, she was almost certain of a place in the next round with the top 16 out of 19 swimmers guaranteed to qualify.

And although she stressed she has a lot more in the tank, Aitken admitted she was more than satisfied with the way her Games were panning out.

“Today is a huge race for me as the outcome will determine whether I get to the finals or not,” she said. “The 100m backstroke is my best event and the biggest thing for me now is to make the final.

“To go my best time will be even better, but to progress to the final I will probably need to go my best time anyway.

“I was happy with my performance yesterday,” added Aitken who was Bermuda’s standard-bearer in the Opening Ceremony at the Maracana Stadium.

“It was a pretty good time although not my best, but it was important I put in a good performance in my heat. To be honest qualifying for the semi-finals was always going to be a sure thing for me with sixteen out of the nineteen qualifying — I was always going to go through. But it was all about seeing what time I could do and to make sure I went into the semi-finals in good form.”

The Games may be in their relative infancy but Aitken has already achieved plenty in her two pool outings so far.

On Monday she achieved her personal best in the women’s 50m freestyle, duly breaking the national record, finishing 21st out of 23 swimmers with a time of 27.67 seconds. Aitken had qualified for the event with a time of 28.04 seconds.

“I’m pleased with the way things are shaping up for me and it was great to get my personal best earlier in the week in the 50m freestyle” she added.

“I haven’t been training an awful lot for the 50m so that was a good achievement.” Despite her tender years Aitken is no stranger to major meetings having made her bow at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. She has since competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2003 Pan-Am Games in the Dominican Republic.

“I don’t get nervous about meets like these anymore,” she said. “I’m just nervous about trying to get my best possible time.

“You never get to see much of the cities you stay in and I haven’t seen much of Rio as we pretty much go from the Pan-Am village to the pool and back.

“But it was great to carry the Bermuda flag at the Opening Ceremony — it was an enjoyable night and a great spectacle.”

Aitken will also be involved in the 200m backstroke tomorrow, while compatriot Roy Allan Burch will take part in the 50m freestyle on Friday. Burch finished 19th out of 20 competitors on Monday with a time of 53.12 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle. He had qualified for the event with a time of 52.40 seconds.

National swimming coach Richard Goodwin has praised both athletes for their performances at the Games so far.

“Both athletes are attempting to perform to the very highest standard — for themselves, in hoping to make the Olympic qualifying times; for their family, friends, supporters and swim clubs here in Bermuda, who are rooting for them.

“And finally for the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association, the Bermuda Olympic Association and their country.

“The freestyle events are not necessarily Kiera’s strength so her improvement is a reflection that the training she has been doing up until the Games has been very effective and bodes well for her backstroke events.

“Roy Allan Burch’s time in the 100m freestyle was not a personal best, nor a National record. It was, however, within 0.78 seconds of the National record that he set back in March of this year at the World Championships, where he successfully qualified for these Pan-Am Games. It was a very creditable performance and reinforces his ability and selection for these Games.”