Bermuda are ready to build on last year’s strong showing at the Phoenix Wushu Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend.

Last year saw the island’s nine-strong contingent come away with eight medals, including five golds, at the annual invitational event.

Flying Bermuda’s flag this time around are Kaelin Cox, Krista Dyer, Errin Cann, Muryah Swan, Geraldine Sidders and Jacob Goodwin.

Dyer, Swan, Sidders and Goodwin are competing in sanda and Cox, Cann and Sidders in taolu.

“It’s a smaller team than last year and competing in this event is part of their build up to the rest of the year,” Garon Wilkinson, the head coach and Bermuda Sanshou Association president, told The Royal Gazette.

“We have a very busy calendar year and these are the athletes that were keen to get an early start to their competitive calendar for 2025.

“This is one of the biggest Wushu tournaments in the nation and we are really looking forward to really strong performances to start our international calendar for the year.”

Elite pair Dyer, the team captain, and Cox are using the tournament as a warm up for the International Wushu Federation Sanda World Cup and World Wushu Championships to be held in China and Brazil later this year.

Swan and Sidders are fresh off victories competing in last month’s Epic Entertainment Casino Night Fight at The Shed in Dockyard.

Making their international debut is Goodwin who launched his career competing at last year’s Bermuda Open, while Cann is the youngest member of the team at age twelve.

“Errin Cann has been coming to this event for a number of years and has really established herself as a strong junior,” Wilkinson said.

“She was in B class (12-14 age group) for the first time last year and is looking to perform stronger in her second year in that group.”

Sidders is venturing into unknown territory competing in taolu for the first time.

“Geraldine has been identified as one of the potential athletes to participate in the Youth Olympics in Senegal in 2026, so I am expecting big things from him at this tournament,” Wilkinson added.

Jecoa Burrows, Che Beane and Quennel Robinson are also serving on the Bermuda coaching staff.

Also among the local contingent are Sanda judges Nolette Webb and Shaun Richards.