BERMUDA’S two swimmers who will compete at this summer’s Pan American Games in Brazil will return to the island for this weekend’s National Championships.Kiera Aitken and Roy-Allan Burch will compete against the best of Bermuda in the climax to the season at the Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association’s pool.

The championships will prove to be a hectic three-day, five-session competition starting tonight with heats and timed finals, followed by heats on Sturday morning and the finals on both Saturday and Sunday evening.

Aitken will fly into Bermuda from Spain where she is training while Burch will come from his US base.

BASA chief Richard Goodwin said this week: “Both Aitken and Burch have been in heavy training and the championships will provide a bench mark with which to gauge its success and also the extent of future training. Aitken will be looking forward to the backstroke events, which are her specialty, whilst Burch will want success in the freestyle sprints.”

Aitken has been in Barcelona since last summer training at the Club de Natacion for this year’s Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro.

And while at the Pan Am Games she will be hoping to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in China. Aitken competed at the 2004 Olympics in Greece and also last year at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

In March this year she returned to Melbourne to compete at the FINA World Championships.

In Rio this summer Aitken plans to compete in her two favourite events — the 100 and 200 metres backstroke and is hoping that she will be allowed to swim in the 50 metres freestyle.

Another group of local swimmers will be using these championships as their final preparation before leaving next week for Rhodes to attend the Island Games.

The team of seven for those Games is: Ashley Aitken, Eleanor Gardner, Lara Loescher, Rebecca Sharpe, Nicole Yearwood, Julian Fletcher and Nick Thomson.

Goodwin said: “This is a team that has been training locally for the most part and is looking forward to the competition in Rhodes. They present a formidable collective ability, as they are able to cover all strokes and distances.”

The Brevard Swim Club from Florida will fly into Bermuda to compete this weekend at the championships for their 16th consecutive visit. “They will provide valuable competition for the local swimmers and ensure that they will bring out their best performances,” said Goodwin adding, “Many younger swimmers have met the minimum qualifying standard for this meet and will be looking forward to taking part, some for the first time, as they begin their own quest for participation in international meets.”