Bermuda Sanshou Association president Garon Wilkinson is looking forward to a good showing from the island’s athletes at the 17th World Wushu Championships in Brazil.

Flying Bermuda’s flag at the biennial event are Kaelin Cox, Krista Dyer and Ryah Symonds, who have been refining their skills in the build-up to the championships.

“This is Kaelin’s third World Championship so certainly expectations for him is to do much better than he did at his last championships,” Wilkinson told The Royal Gazette.

“My goal is for him to have a minimum score of 9.0. If he can break into the 9s that will certainly be an accomplishment for him. If he can beat at least half of the competitors in his field that will be very encouraging and I will be very happy.

“This is the fourth World Wushu Championships for Krista, who won a silver medal at the last World Wushu Championships in Texas. She’s had lots of world competition, including the Sanda World Cup where she won a silver medal, so certainly our expectations of her are very high.

“This is Ryah’s very first World Championships. She has competed in one Pan American Championship and actually won that last year in California.

“She had very encouraging results coming off the Canadian Wushu Nationals, and I feel that she’s very ready to put on a solid performance for her first World Championships.”

Cox, who is competing in the Taolu southern fist, southern broadsword and southern staff disciplines, took part in an initial training camp in Peru in preparation for the championships.

“Training in Peru has been an incredible experience, allowing me to work alongside world-renowned Pan American champion coach Adriano lourenco de Silva and elite athletes,” he said.

“This environment has significantly sharpened my skills, both mentally and physically. The rigorous training sessions and high-level competitions have prepared me for any future challenges, enhancing my resilience and focus. I feel more equipped to tackle competitions with confidence, thanks to the expertise and intensity of my training experience.”

Dyer, who is competing in the women’s 65kg sanda division, also started her preparations on foreign soil at the Chengdu Sports University in China.

“Being at the university taught me that’s it’s not impossible and it just takes a lot of time and dedication and a lot of willingness to go above and beyond,” she said.

“With great tutelage and great training mates it can definitely be a possibility for myself and Bermuda. In order to truly grow you need to be out of your comfort zone. That’s where you truly experience all the joys that life has to offer when you just take a step beyond where you’ve taken before.

“I am really pleased I got this opportunity. It’s forced me to grow physically and mentally, and hopefully I can show off this new fortitude in my upcoming competitions.”

Debutant Symonds is representing Bermuda in the women’s 70kg sanda division, with the event taking place from Sunday until September 7.