Photo Courtesy of Jamaica Observer
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Buoyed by the sensational performances of their swimmers over the past year, the Amateur Swimming Association Of Jamaica (ASAJ) is wasting no time in preparing their National and Developments Squad swimmers for the 2017 season.
Having enjoyed arguably the best year ever in International Swimming at both the Age Group and Senior levels, National Coach, Gillian Millwood wasted no time in getting her swimmers back in the pool after the Christmas break.
Thirty eight (38) swimmers have been participating in an intensive 4 day Training Camp at the National Aquatic Centre.
The purpose of this first Camp is to foster the coming together of our fastest and most mentally driven swimmers to educate them concerning the goals for National Representation while affording them the opportunity of training and racing together thus building the camaraderie among the campers.
The keen competition also allows both the swimmers and the coaching staff to identify any weaknesses which can then be corrected well ahead of the major International Meets in the New Year.
According to the Camp Coordinator, Miss Gillian Millwood it is important to get an early start as our prospects are very positive going into 2017 and we therefore need to focus on building on the successes of 2016 and use this to attract and encourage Corporate Jamaica to buy into our [plan and come on board with us from as early as January 2017.
She further continued by saying that “The energy in this year’s Christmas camp is at a dramatically higher level than evidenced over the past four years. The swimmers are hungry for success and are most eager to make historic swims at the National, Regional and wider International level. This group of swimmers is embracing the work ethic and mental agility required in preparation to make these historic deadlines which they have set for themselves with the help of their coaches. The Coaching Staff has high hopes for their charges and their enthusiasm is also rubbing off on the parents who are therefore encouraging and willing on their athletes towards achieving their goals. Together we are working to get rid of all the mental and physical challenges thus ensuring that we are athletically and technically prepared for the competition both in and out of the water.”
Photo Courtesy of Jamaica Observer
Swimmers from overseas who are participating in the Camp are: Jesse Marsh – Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, Florida, Bryanna Renuart from the Firestone Akron Swim Team in Ohio, and Nico Campbell from the Florida Southern College.
Swimmers not currently in any of the National Swim Squads but who have attained a top five ranking, in each of the Age Groups, in the 100 meter freestyle event have also been invited and from this grouping the following swimmers have been participating in the Training Camp:
Paris Clare – ‘Y’ Speedos Swim Club
Zachary Johnson – ‘Y’ Speedos Swim Club
Tiara Campbell – SailFish Swim Academy
Morgan Cogle – Jupiter Dragons Swim Club, Florida
A total of 6 Sessions have been completed covering 22,000 m with Relay Sessions at the end of the first five.
Special thanks to Lifespan Spring Water who have partnered with the ASAJ for this Camp through the provision of water for the athletes.
The following swimmers who have broken National Records during calendar year 2016 were also at camp:
Emily MacDonald 11-12 Girls 50m Freestyle CISC, Nassau, Bahamas
100m Freestyle
200m Freestyle
Chester Adams, Jordane Payne & Kyle Sinclair
13-14 Boys 200m Freestyle Relay
2017 Regional & International Championships/Meets
April 15-19, 2017 CARIFTA Swimming Championships, Nassau, Bahamas
July 1-6, 2017 CCCAN Swimming Championships, Trinidad & Tobago
July 19-23, 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, Nassau, Bahamas
July 14-30, 2017 World Swimming Championships, Budapest, Hungary
August 19-30, 2017 World University Games, Chinese Taipei, China
August 23-28, 2017 World Junior Swimming Championships, Indianapolis, USA
TBC Annual Goodwill Games
The Campers were divided into groups and the coaches are assigned to specific areas as detailed below:
- Camp Coordinator – Coach Gillian Millwood
(Coach at the ‘Y Speedos Swim Club which has 15 members on the National Squad, National Coach for the past 4 years, Middle Distance and Distance Freestyle and Butterfly Coach)
- Wendy Lee – Head Coach of the Tornadoes Swim Club
(Has served as National Swim Coach for several years – Freestyle Coach)
- Trudi-Anne Langrin
(Coaches at the Tornadoes Swim Club – Backstroke Coach)
- Kerry-Anne Steer
(Coaches at the Tornadoes Swim Club – Former National Age Group Swimmer – Breaststroke Coach)
- Miguel Jonas
(Coach at the Tornadoes Swim Club – Has served as a National Coach on more than one occasion – Sprint Coach)
- Barrington (Barry) Brown
(Coach at the Tornadoes Swim Club – Has served as a National Coach on more than one occasion. Endurance/Pace & 200m Coach)
- Lynval Lowe
Head Coach of the Swimaz Aquatics Swim Club – Has served as a National Coach on more than one occasion. Conditioning Coach)
- Rohan Whyte
(Coach at SailFish Swim Academy – Has served as a National Coach on one occasion to date. Sprint Coach)
To cap off an excellent for swimming the performance of their senior swimmers was also very good with Timothy Wynter and Justin Plaschka attaining ‘B’ Qualifying standards for possible inclusion on the Team to the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Unfortunately, only one Universality space was available to Jamaica and this place was awarded by FINA to Timothy Wynter. Other senior swimmers who excelled will be mentioned in our Swimming Year in Review document.
Alia Atkinson’s pursuits in the water are well documented with her excellent results in the 2016 FINA/airweave World Cup being highlighted by her two World Records in the 100m and 50m Breaststroke events. She again reached the final of the 100m Breaststroke event at the Rio 2016 Olympics and rounded off the year by winning gold, silver and bronze medals at the World Short Course Championships held in Windsor, Canada in December.
