Olympic prep resumes for TT swim pair

TT swimmer Cherelle Thompson, who has already booked a spot at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, will get her first taste of action on local soil since the covid19 pandemic began in March. Thompson will compete at the Amateur Swimming Association of TT (ASATT) Short Course trials at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, from 6 pm, on Friday.

Thompson will use the trials to test her level of preparedness ahead of the 2021 Olympic Games, which begins in July.

“This year would have been so much fluctuation with training and time in the water because of the pandemic, so with the limited pool time compared to what is normally done it will be really interesting just to see how that plays out for competition,” Thompson told Newsday.

In January, Thompson earned the Olympic B standard of 25.39 seconds in the women’s 50m freestyle when she competed in a meet in Tennessee, USA.

On Friday, Thompson will be one of the first swimmers in the pool as she competes in the women’s 50m freestyle event, the fifth race on the schedule.

Thompson will be aiming to better her national mark of 24.89 she set in November, 2019.

Thompson said swimmers are clocking some impressive times around the world recently despite the downtime. The TT swimmer is hoping she also clocks fast times.

“When you look across the spectrum with other swimmers around the globe who also would have lost pool time they actually breaking records and swimming a lot faster than they were previously. I am hoping the same trend will happen with me.”

The Short Course trials are for those interested in breaking their respective age group records.

Thompson is excited about competing at home again. “The last time (I competed at home) was in March. This is what training and everything is all about – competing. It will good to get the opportunity to race against the clock. It is not the ideal situation because I won’t be racing against other people, but (it is still great to compete).”

TT swimmer Dylan Carter will also compete at the Short Course trials. He recently performed creditably in the International Swimming League in Hungary where he represented the Los Angeles Current, a swim club based in Los Angeles, USA.

The league ran from October 16 to November 22.

Carter will aim to break the national record of his friend and mentor George Bovell in the men’s 50-metre freestyle event, which is race 13 on Friday’s schedule.

Bovell, who earned bronze in the men’s individual medley 200m event at the 2004 Olympics, has held the record of 20.82 seconds in the event since October, 2012.

Swimmers will also compete in the 9 to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17 age groups.

Public relations officer at ASATT Gresha Gonzales said all covid19 protocols will be followed during the event as only one parent of each athlete participating and coaches are allowed to attend.

The clubs expected to be represented are Flying Fish, Tidal Wave and Eagles.

Swimmers will also compete unattached including Carter. Thompson will line up for Eagles.

The Short Course trials will be followed by the ASATT Long Course trials at the Aquatic Centre, on Monday, from 6 pm.

The Long Course trials are for swimmers who have already attained qualifying times for the 2021 Olympics and the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, but are interested in achieving faster times.