Coach Swan confident of more qualifiers
National track and field coach Gerry Swan is hopeful that Bermuda?s CARIFTA team will increase by a significant margin during tomorrow?s second major meet at the National Sports Centre.
The chief and his assistants were encouraged when four athletes met the qualifying standards during the first meet of the season on December 13, putting them well on course for fielding their biggest squad in recent years for the event which Bermuda will host in April.
?Yes, I am confident that we will have a larger team than we have had in recent years attending these Games,? he said. ?We have only had one meet to date and we have been very encouraged to have four athletes meet the qualifying standards.
?It was very pleasing to see four qualify, but it was also to great have two of them reach personal best marks, these being Derrick Golding and James Berl ? the pair significantly going above and beyond their previous best efforts.?
Swan hoped that athletes would cash in on this second meet which starts at 1p.m.
The coach is also urging the public and friends, combined with parents and guardians, to make an effort to show up at the Sports Centre to give aspiring CARFITA participants the added incentive to strive to reach their goals.
In addition to Golding and Berl, the others reaching the qualifying standards are triple jumper and high jumper Latroya Darrell and Zindzi Swan.
Darrell, competing in the girls Under-17 category, sailed well over her distances in each event, while Swan ? a gold medallist at the 2000 Games and the national record holder in the girls Under-20 long jump and high jump ? also had a good effort in the high jump.
?From a coach?s perspective, I hope that all of the athletes go out there this weekend and in weeks to come with that desire, to strive to qualify, and if it doesn?t happen this weekend they should have the desire to be competitive,? said Swan.
?We are building towards CARIFTA and all should aim to get into competitive shape and work towards qualifying. We are encouraging the public in general to come and support them.?
