Challenges ahead for swimming in Bermuda

Among the issues is the myriad of other sporting activities on the island, which draw from its field of athletes.

Major sports such as football and cricket likely offer the most competition, according to Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association president Tim Petty.

“At present, we have major challenges with facilities on the island for training purposes,” Mr. Petty said. “We are delighted to have the new facility at Sandys 360, but our other facilities are aging and in major need of overhaul.

“Most major meets nowadays are held in 50-metre pools, which we don’t have in Bermuda. Hopefully, we will have one in a year or so.

“The business end of our sport is the competitive side of it as that is what garners the news and helps to raise our profile and consequently aids our fundraising efforts.”

From national coach, Ben Smith’s point of view, cross-training, more training, outside coach and trainer input and programme adjustment will be necessary for BASA to continue to produce high level athletes.

Mr. Smith said: “The standard of swimming across the world is getting better, and the times that we will have to achieve for qualification will make it difficult for local swimmers to reach the Olympic dream in the future.

“This means that we need to increase the group of athletes that we are pulling from, and we have to spend more time training our best swimmers together.

“We need to bring in more competition from overseas, as well as give our swimmers more opportunities to train and compete overseas.”

National coach Richard Goodwin agreed with Mr. Petty and Mr. Smith.

Aquatic facility

“There is a definite need for a new, properly designed and constructed aquatics facility,” Mr. Goodwin said. “The organization itself needs to develop with a more permanent and professional structure.”

Documentation and what it represents is also a concern, according to Mr. Petty.

The BASA president said: “Our office also has to deal with an ever expanding amount of paperwork and consequently spend an ever increasing amount of time understanding and working within the restraints of the new rules regarding the drug testing of our athletes.

“I am extremely proud of the fact that to date none of our aquatics athletes have ever failed one of those tests.”

The reinstatement of the three missing disciplines that BASA is responsible for governing — synchronized swimming, diving and water polo — is also at issue.

“We have had a rich history of divers competing and representing the island, but none right now that I am aware of,” Mr. Petty said. “We also had a number of water polo teams many years ago, but this fell off the radar as well.”

According to the president, the new aquatics centre at the National Stadium offers hope that many of these issues will be addressed.