NINE of Bermuda's best young swimmers set off for Barbados on Monday to compete in the CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

And team manager Margaret Heyliger said this group of youngsters will hopefully start to take over the mantle of Kiera Aitken who recently powered into the final of the 50 metres backstroke at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia and broke her own national record.

One of those swimmers expected to feature at future Olympics, Commonwealth and Pan Am Games is Rebecca Sharpe who, like Aitken, is a backstroke specialist.

The CARIFTA Games next week will be the first of a number of international events for Sharpe this year ? she also plans to compete at the FINA Youth World Championships in Brazil as well as the Caribbean Island Swimming Championships.

"Rebecca is a very strong swimmer," said Heyliger whose own daughter, also named Rebecca, will be competing in Barbados in the backstroke.

Sharpe recently was awarded $5,000 by the National Junior Athletes Sponsorship Programme to help with expenses while competing at the Alberta Championships later this year and also to attend the Nick Baker Swimming Camp in Florida. Baker is a former US Olympic coach and has conducted clinics before in Bermuda.

Last year 14-year-old Sharpe brought home medals from the CARIFTA Swimming Championships when she won the silver in the 50 metres and two bronze medals in the 100 and 200 metres.

Now she is hoping to bring home the gold.

Team manager Heyliger said of Sharpe: "She is definitely one of the most promising swimmers we have right now. She medaled last year at CARIFTA when she was in the bottom of her age group and now that she is in the top of that age group she should get gold ? she really should. There is a lot of power behind her."

Sharpe's coach, Ben Smith who is the head coach of Sharks Swim Club and also the assistant national coach, said the "sky is the limit" for Sharpe.

Smith, who has coached Sharpe for the past five years, said: "She is very strong. Her backstroke is her main event and we are hoping that she will go and compete at Junior Worlds in August in Brazil. She is phenomenal in backstroke ? she has set every record ever since she was in the 8 and Under age group. In the 13-14 age group she sets a new record every time she gets into the water and has broke all of Kiera's (Aitken) records in that group. At the Junior Worlds this summer she is being asked to qualify in the next age group ? she has to in order for her to go. And she has already made one of those qualifying times and is just outside the other. I think the sky is the limit for Rebecca ? she has so much natural ability."

Of Kiera Aitken, Smith said: "Rebecca looks up to Kiera ? they swim the same stroke and she is hoping to accomplish what Kiera has done. I am not sure how far Rebecca can go ? I think she could surpass what Kiera has done. I think Kiera has also been very impressed with Rebecca's improvement. I know last summer during the national championships it was the first time Kiera could see Rebecca's improvement and she was very vocal to Rebecca in encouraging her. She told her to keep up the good work."

Both Heyliger and Smith said this group of young swimmers Bermuda has is very promising.

Heyliger said: "It is a good bunch of swimmers coming up again. We have seemed to have had a gap between the Ronald Cowens and Keira Aitkens but this batch coming up, especially Rebecca Sharpe, Nick Thompson and Ashley Yearwood is very promising.

Smith added: "The swimmers, especially the girls in the 13-14 age group, are very strong. And Ashley (Yearwood), who is only 11 years old, is very promising. What she did in the 9-10 age group (last year) is something we had never seen before. She shattered every record available."

Some of the swimmers will be representing Bermuda for the first time and Smith said: "We definitely want them to get that experience at a young age so that when they get to the stage where Kiera is now it becomes routine for them. They will not feel the nerves and butterflies as much ? just get out there and swim their race. You need that mental experience of being able to go up against tough competition and swim at the highest level."

But Bermuda needs a 50 metre pool in order to keep developing the swimmers. Smith said: "Who knows what we could accomplish if we had the facilities to do it. You have to be able to train in the long course. Everything is different (from a short pool)."

National coach Richard Goodwin, who will be travelling with the team to Barbados, gave a rundown of the nine swimmers going to championships next week.

q Ashley is 11 years old and has just moved up into this new age group (11/12) and this is her first meet representing Bermuda. She possesses great determination and ability and will be giving her all to make finals in freestyle and butterfly.

Margaux is 12 years old and this is also her first meet representing Bermuda. A natural breaststroker, she will be attempting to make P.B.s and the finals.

Rebecca is 13 years old and is a veteran of last year's CARIFTA Games. She has just moved into the 13/14 age group. She is a strong endurance swimmer with great staying power and will be looking to make finals in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Rebecca is 14 years old and is a backstroke specialist. She medaled at all three distances (50/100/200) in that stroke at last year's CARIFTA Games. Based on these past performances, her own continuing improvement and that she is at the top of this age group, Rebecca is a very strong contender to be a repeat medalist.

is 14 years old and a competent all-rounder. Nicole can swim all strokes and all distances. She has previously represented Bermuda at CISC, CARIFTA Games and CCCAN and will be trying to continue her success from CCCAN where she finaled in the 50 and 100 backstroke and the 400 freestyle.

is 15 years old and is a very strong freestyler. Eleanor has represented Bermuda at the CARIFTA Games and CCCAN last year. She has the ability to swim fast freestyle at all of the distances.

is 15 years old and a powerful sprinter in all four strokes. She has previously represented Bermuda at CISC, CARIFTA, CCCAN and the Island Games. Her specialty is the 50 freestyle and she will be determined on making finals in that event.

q is 14 years old and this will be his first overseas meet representing Bermuda. Denzel has improved dramatically in a year of dedicated training, with a natural flair in all four strokes as a sprinter.

is 14 years old and has previously represented Bermuda at CISC and CARIFTA Games. He is a long-axis swimmer and excels at the sprint distances in freestyle and backstroke. He is determined to medal in the 50 backstroke.