The Bahamas Aquatics Federation has named a four-member team for the 15th FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Short Course Swimming Championship (25 meters), set for December 16-21, at the Ethiad Arena, on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Making the team are Joanna Evans, Lilly Higgs, Izaak Bastian and Lamar Taylor.
The head coach of the team is Andy Loveitt. The team manager and federation representative is Georgette Albury and Cordero Bonamy is the physical therapist. Rounding out the delegation as a federation representative is Gena Culmer-Taylor.
This is Evans’ second time competing at the short course world championship. She will hit the water in the 200 and 400 meters (m) freestyle heats on Thursday, December 16 and Sunday, December 19, respectively. Her first time competing at this meet was back at the 14th edition when it was held in Doha, Qatar. She swam the 400 and 800m free races as a 17-year-old that year. She placed 31st overall in the 400m free with a time of 4:13.83, and was 24th overall in the 800m with a time of 8:38.07.
This year, Evans is returning to the competition as a 24-year-old experienced swimmer. She clocked a personal best time of 1:54.36 in the 200m free at the end of November of this year. In September 2021, the Olympian clocked a personal best of 4:00.14 in the 400m free.
The former University of Texas standout swimmer competes for DC Trident professional swimming club.
Higgs will swim in the 50 and 100m breaststroke races. The 50m breast heats are set for Thursday, December 16 and the 100m breast heats are set for Sunday, December 19. The University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels senior will be making her debut at these championships but has represented The Bahamas at several regional and international meets.
Bastian will be swimming in the 50 and 100m breast races. His first race is the 100m breast, set for December 16 at which time he will swim in the heats. The 50m breast heats are set for Monday, December 20. This will be the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles senior debut at these championships. The 20-year-old is no stranger to high-level meets having swam for The Bahamas at the Olympics along with Evans this past summer and other regional and international meets.
Rounding out the team is rising star Lamar Taylor. The 18-year-old will be in the pool swimming the 50 and 100m freestyle heats on Saturday, December 18 and Monday, December 20, respectively. The Henderson State University sophomore represented The Bahamas at the recently concluded Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia. He has represented The Bahamas at other junior regional and international meets. He and Bastian were on the team that represented The Bahamas at the 7th FINA World Junior Championships in 2019.
The quartet will be swimming in the mixed relays portion of the meet as well. They will swim in the 4x50m free and 4x50m medley mixed relays. The 4x50m free is set for Friday, December 17 and the medley relay will be held on Saturday, December 18.
All four swimmers hold at least one senior national long course record each. Altogether, they have 11 senior national long course records.
The team will begin traveling on Sunday, December 12.
The post Four-member team ratified for FINA Short Course Worlds appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
