Bermuda Sanshou Association president Garon Wilkinson has high expectations for the largest team to represent the island at the Phoenix Wushu Nationals in Arizona.

Flying Bermuda’s banner at the two-day event this weekend are sanda athletes Krista Dyer, Kallan Todd, Quennel Robinson, Enzi Johnston, Muryah Swan, Geraldine Sidders, Tristan Robinson and Jonathan Trott. Kaelin Cox is the island’s sole athlete competing in taolu.

“All of our athletes are very prepared and I expect a number of medals,” Wilkinson told The Royal Gazette. “I expect a number of gold-medal performances to be honest and podium finishes.

“In taolu, Kaelin Cox is going to be competing in five events and one for the first time, the modern wushu southern staff.

“He didn’t finish that routine earlier enough to compete with it at the Wushu Worlds, so he will be competing in that for the first time and is looking very strong, so very high expectations from him to come back with a good haul of medals.

“But overall I am feeling really confident in our team. It’s a very strong team and everyone is looking forward to it.”

Much is also expected from Dyer, who earned the sanda silver medal competing in the women’s 65kg division at the biennial World Wushu Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, last November.

Bermuda is being represented at this weekend’s championships in Arizona for the second time, with Cox and Todd the surviving members of the first local team that competed at the event in 2021.

Cox has already enjoyed success at the competition having won the gold medal in the men’s traditional Nan Quan (southern fist) division on his debut.

“It’s certainly one of the larger wushu invitational events in the United States,” Wilkinson added.

“They have really been pushing sanda over the last few years and have some noticeable teams that take part, particularly from Benny Meng’s Wing Chun School.

“We were very competitive with them in Toronto at the Pan American Kung Fu Championships and we’ve certainly formed a rivalry, so I am certain a few of our athletes may have rematches.”

Bermuda’s athletes are using the competition as a warm up for the upcoming Pan American Wushu Championships and will be accompanied by coaches Cyril Whitter, Che Beane and Wilkinson as well as sanda judges Dwayne Cox and Nolette Webb.

Webb served as team manager during the island’s debut at the championships nearly three years ago, where they came away with two golds and a silver medal.