Four young Bermuda swimmers fly out this week bound for the experience of a lifetime ? competing at the inaugural FINA Youth World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The meet will bring together the best 17-and-under swimmers in the world and at last count almost 400 teenagers from more than 60 countries had registered to compete.

Bermuda will be represented by Rebecca Sharpe and Nick Thomson of the Sharks Swim Club as well as Lara Loescher and Eleanor Gardner from Harbour Amateur Swim Club.

All four were selected after successfully attaining two difficult qualifying times during the course of the season.

According to national coach Richard Goodwin, the quartet have been training hard recently at a time when most of the Island?s other swimmers have been winding down with the local season all but finished.

?For them, it has not just been an extension (of the season) but also a step up in training as well,? said Goodwin.

?All of the four have been training very hard, putting in as many as eight swim sessions a week, augmented by dry land exercise and a stretching regimen.

?This has been a difficult adjustment for them in that they have not had the support mechanism of their regular training partners, as well as enduring more, longer and tougher sessions.

?Their training is now nearing its end and they can look forward to reaping the benefit of all of their hard work.

?They will go into this competition with eager anticipation and confidence.?

The Brazil meet begins on August 22.