The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Pan American Games bronze medallist Lamar Taylor will headline the Bahamas Aquatics’ four-member team that will represent the Bahamas at the 21st edition of the FINA World Aquatics Championships next week in Doha, Qatar.

Joining Taylor will be Rhanishka Gibbs, Victoria Russell and Marvin Johnson. The team will be managed by internationally certified official Gina Culmer-Taylor and coached by Camron Bruney. The physiotherapist is Cordero Bonamy.

While diving, artistic swimming, open water and water polo are already underway, the Bahamian quartet will be competing in swimming February 11-18 in the Aspire Dome.

Bruney, a former swimmer-turned coach, said he’s excited about the team as they will get a chance to attain a qualifying cut for the Olympic Games in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11. “I feel good about the team. We have some worthy swimmers, some of the top swimmers in the country,” Bruney said. “We have Marvin competing for the first time at the senior level of competition.

“So I’m really looking forward to seeing how well he does when he goes over there and competes with the rest of the team. Hopefully, they can all go out and make the qualifying cuts for the Olympics.”

With all but three of the athletes away in school, Bruney said he has not had a chance to analyse their competitive level going into the championships, but he’s certain that they are all going to be prepared to swim their best.

“I know they are putting in the work to be able to go over there and compete at their best,” he pointed out.

“I know that they are ready to go, so we’re look- ing forward to some great things from them.”

Taylor, a 19-year-old senior at Henderson State University, is coming off his bronze medal performance at the Pan Am Games in Chile and a gold at the Central American Games in Spain, both last year.

He will be contesting the men’s 50 metres freestyle, backstroke and butterfly.

Gibbs, 17, now at Texas Christian University, was a finalist in the 60m breast at the CAC Games.

She will be entered in the 50m free and 100m breaststroke.

Russell, 22, and enrolled at Edinburgh University, will contest the 50m back- stroke and butterfly and Johnson, who is 17 and attends Macailie Boarding School, will be entered in the 100m freestyle and “My goal when I go over butterfly. there is to help them in any way they need,” Bruney said.

“I am the coach of the team, but I am going to support them in whatever way I can because they are coming from four different programmes.

“My job is to make sure that they get whatever they need so that they can go out there and give it their best shot in representing the country.”

Looking at the make-up of the team, Bruney said the expectations is a simple one.

“I want them to be able to go out there and try and make the A cut for the Olympics,” he stated. “I want them to believe in themselves that they can do it.”

While this is a chance to qualify for the Olympics, Bruney said there will be other opportunities for them to swim long course meets, but they probably won’t have it with the calibre of swimmers who will be competing in this championships.

“They will be racing against swimmers who have already got their A cuts, so that is the advantage of going over there and competing in this meet,” Bruney stated.

“If they don’t make the Olympic cut in this one or any of the other ones, they will get another chance at the last chance meet, but this is a great opportunity for them to qualify because this is the second biggest meet that they will get to compete in.”

The team delegation will be departing for Doha on Wednesday, but the swimmers will trickle in at different times based on their schedules at school that will allow them to get there before the swimming competition starts on February 11.