Carifta in the Bahamas ….it has such a lovely, calming and attractive ring to it, doesn’t it?So much so, it makes you just want to go there, soak up the sun and enjoy what their life has to offer.Our Carifta swimmers, who returned last night, did just that and in the process their collective efforts put Bermuda on the map as a potential hot bed of swimming.Which it should and can be given our climate, quality of coaching and the soon-to-be-completed National Sports Centre 50m pool.Anyway, for the record, BASA (our governing body for swimming) sent a tiny team of nine to Bahamas for Carifta.In comparison, on our home soil, our track and field team was 55 strong and won a gold and five minor medals.The swimmers achieved: 51 personal best times; 16 age group records and one national record.Jesse Washington was awarded the 11 and 12 Swimmer of the Meet title. He also racked up more individual points than anyone else in any age group! The team won 12 medals — six of them gold!Naturally, everyone involved in swimming in Bda is proud … probably none more than National Coach Ben Smith.“The way this week of swimming has gone, you wish it wouldn’t end. Bahamas did an amazing job hosting the meet and the pool facility was fast and well maintained.“It was also such a pleasure to work with such a fantastic group of children. Their effort in every swim was special and they all seem to feed off each other’s positive energy.“I wish that all of Bermuda had had an opportunity to experience this.”Which brings us to — the future.Traditionally when a superstar like Jesse Washington emerges, this fuels the next generation of athletes in that sport. We seriously may even have an emerging Olympian medallist in Jesse Washington in eight years — because he is potentially that good.Which means we are now, in a grand position to host future swim meets. Right?Because that, in turn, would bring acclaim and tourism dollars to the Island.Globally, 225 countries have masters swimming associations — and there is an estimated four million, cashed-up over 25-year-old swimmers connected to masters associations worldwide.If we staged a meet here, all of those four million would at the very least, know about Bermuda and our weather.I asked Sean Tucker who runs the National Sports Centre, what he thought of our swimmers in the Bahamas, and what he thought of us ever hosting future international swim meets here.“Well, I was very pleased with their efforts but not overly surprised because the coaching infrastructure for swimming in Bda is very committed,” he said.“And sure, let’s see if we can host upcoming international meets. This new eight-lane pool is FINA-sanctioned to do so.”Arghhh, now stop there.Is it sanctioned?This thing called FINA, is the governing body of international swim meets.Any country applying to host an Olympics, Commonwealth Games and all the way down to Carifta, need FINA approval to do so.And FINA needs myriad certain specifications met before a swim meet is sanctioned. Now, here’s where this story gets interesting.Errol Clarke, President of the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Federation and Carifta, is also the most decorated Caribbean swim official ever. He reports to FINA. In fact, Clarke can boast that he is —Ÿ The first person from the English-speaking Caribbean to be a member of the FINA Technical Swimming Committee;Ÿ The first official from the English-speaking Caribbean to referee in swimming at an Olympic competition;Ÿ The first person from the English-speaking Caribbean to be elected President of CCCAN in its 63 year history;Ÿ The first administrator in swimming from the Caribbean to be recognised by FINA for his contribution to aquatic sports.I point out all that because he brings to the table a lofty knowledge of all things FINA and swimming.“You will not be able to hold international water polo competitions in a combined swimming/diving pool like you are building,” he started.“Increasingly, most new pools are being built as ten-lane structures and measuring 25m wide across as this is the new FINA requirement standard for hosting FINA-sanctioned swim meets.”Wow … so who is correct?Mr Clarke said: “You have some promising swimmers, so Bermuda should not rule out the possibility of hosting a FINA World championship or any FINA swim event.However, without a warm-up pool Bermuda will not be able to host a meet like Carifta in the proposed pool being built.”The National Sports Centre is building an eight-lane pool and is not, at this stage, being built with a warm-up pool. So, did someone screw up when planning this 50m complex?“No, not at all. This is just phase one of a swimming complex that will meet everyone’s needs,” argued Mr Tucker. “In phase two, set down for next year, we have a warm-up pool scheduled to go.”Phew …. for a moment it looked like the alleged $19 million or so put aside for this NSC 50m pool was directed at constructing a great white elephant that would not suit anyone.Mr Tucker is hoping the pool will be finished by November this year, although that means it will miss out on the Corporate Games.The decision to make an eight-lane 50m pool as opposed to a ten-lane structure is still intriguing, and begs the question … why?Given that our neighbours — Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad, etc — all of whom desire international competition to be held in their jurisdiction, all have ten-lane 50m pools.Which means that if we bid against them for international meets, we will lose. This is because they all also have that all-important warm up pool. Why didn’t we get that?“Yes there was a proposal put to us for a ten-lane pool, but to answer your question, it was a matter of the volume of water and maintenance thereafter,” explained Mr Tucker. “We did an in-depth study on whether we should use stainless steel as a base, which is what those who put the application for a ten-lane pool in, wanted.“We went with concrete and the eight-lane because of costs and from an environment issue. We were not convinced a stainless steel pool would work in Bermuda, re rust, with us being so close to the ocean.“Plus, we knew concrete would last a long time as it’s been proven here.“But that aside, I’d like you to talk to our architect as he knows the ins and outs of all to do with the pool. His name is Bob Johnstonand he lives in Canada.”Before I called Mr Johnston, I spoke with Ian Gordon, the man who drew up and headed the ten-lane pool with the warm-up pool connected.“Sorry, but Sean Tucker is incorrect,” he started. “We did a feasibility study of the volume of water for a ten-lane like we proposed compared to their eight-lane pool which will be built with a deep diving well in one end.“And it came back that our pool held less water. I sent that to Sean and to this day have still not heard from him.”I tried getting quotes from Sports Minister Glenn Blakeney, but the Minister is in Russia.However, Mr Johnston responded from his Vancouver Island office saying: "The ten-lane proposal was a one page drawing. It was more a concept than anything else and likened to a drawing on a napkin. And FINA wrote to us saying the eight-lane tank and plans we did submit, would meet its approval. They were even complimentary on how we integrated elite and recreational swimming. Now, once we get phase two in place, which is the warm-up pool, we will have a pool that meets the standards required to host international meets. It just takes timing and money, but it's all part of the master plan."I even left a message with the Auditor General, Heather Jacobs Matthews … you know, just to see if the interesting choice of an eight-lane pool with no warm-up facility, as opposed to a FINA-approved ten-lane structure, complete with a warm-up pool, ever came under her bailiwick.By the time I had to write this, she also had not responded.But Michael Dunkley did. “You should be asking why yet another major capital works project is being made that will hurt us,” he provided.Which is pretty much what I did of Mr Tucker. “I put my hand over my heart and tell you I have documentation from FINA saying we can stage international meets at this pool,” he claimed.Which is, I’m sure, true … to a degree.FINA will approve a short course (25m length laps) meet in a pool that has a movable bulkhead (meaning the 50m structure can be cut in half with a competition pool and a warm-up pool).“But this still does not allow for Olympic, Worlds, Commonwealth or Carifta meets to be staged in Bermuda,” implored Ian Gordon, a former BASA President.Anyway, let’s get back to making a big ‘splash’ over our young swimmers.Well done: Nic Patterson, Ashley Yearwood, Katrina Beveridge, Benedict Parfict, Philip Hagen, Shannon Hassell, Aaron Rego, Jesse Washington, Madelyn Moore. “I for one, am very proud of what they all achieved,” added Sen Dunkley.Ditto from us all guys.But you know what, Carifta in Bda …. now wouldn’t that have been nice.