T&T’s World Youth Olympic silver and bronze medal swimmer Dylan Carter has joined Olympic bronze medallist George Bovell (50m freestyle) on the national swimming team for the Rio Olympic Games.
This after, the Amateur Swimming Association confirmed that Carter received an invitation by FINA, the world governing body for aquatics, to participate in the Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, next month.
Following the first stages of the Swimming qualification procedure for the Rio 2016 Olympic games, Carter received an Olympic Standard B Time to take part in the competition and will swim in the 100m freestyle event. He joins our esteemed Olympian, bronze medalist, George Bovell III on the road to Rio.
Only last week at the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, Carter won the event in Boys 18 & Over 100m freestyle in 49.33, just a tick off his 2016 best of 49.31 and about a second and a half under FINA’s “B” cut, to sit just inside the top 100 worldwide. Carter who attends the University of Southern California also swam a FINA ‘B’ cut in the 100m backstroke in 56.05.
Meanwhile, the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T’s National Age-Group Short Course (NAGSC) Championships splashed off yesterday until Sunday at the St Michael’s Pool in San Fernando and is being hosted by Atlantis Aquatics Swim Club
Swimmers participating in this meet are vying for the opportunity to represent T&T at the XXII Goodwill Swim Meet which will take place from August 19 - 21, 2016 at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre, Rodney Bay, St Lucia.
Participating countries are Suriname, Barbados, T & T, Guyana and host nation St Lucia with the Bahamas invited as the guest team.
As defending champions of the XXI Goodwill, Trinidad and Tobago will be looking to select the cream of the crop in anticipation of retaining the coveted title. Qualifiers this year however, will have the challenge of wholly funding their trip as the ASATT’s executive has already informed that funds are not available for assisting the athletes whether or not A qualifying times are made. This is unlike the situation last month with the CISC team that participated in the Championships in the Bahamas where A qualifiers received full funding from Sport Company of T&T (SPORTT).
Recently appointed manager of the team, Denise Constantine has therefore given early notification to prospective parents in this regard.
She is also looking forward to assistance from corporate sponsors as the Goodwill Meet is regarded as the launching pad of many of our elite swimmers, inclusive of Dylan Carter who only this week received notification of selection to participate in the Olympic Games in Rio as a B qualifier.