BERMUDA swimming will be well represented overseas next month when two teams leave for overseas competition on Monday. Based on the results from the Rego Sotheby's National Championships last week, in which all of the team members participated, there is likely to be a number of new records set by this young, dynamic and very talented group of swimmers.

The first team, comprised of Eleanor Gardner, Rebecca Heyliger, Rebecca Sharpe, Ashley Yearwood, Julian Fletcher and Nick Thomson, are heading for Monterrey, Mexico to take part in the 2nd FINA World Youth Swimming Championships. This is a biannual affair and brings together the top young swimmers from around the world. The age cap is set at 18 for males and 17 for females and is an early introduction to the senior event, which is scheduled for next year in Rome. The previous Youth Championships was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2006 and featured swimmers from 64 countries. Gardner, Sharpe and Thomson took part in this inaugural affair and can attest to the fact that the standard at these championships was extremely high. Several of the winners there will now be participating on their respective Olympic teams this year and have already made their presence felt in senior competitions.

Eleanor Gardner will be competing in the full suite of the freestyle events, from the 50 through to the 800; whilst Rebecca Sharpe, fresh off her record setting form last weekend at the National Championships, will concentrate on her specialty, the backstroke events. Rebecca Heyliger is a sprint specialist and won the 50 freestyle at last weekend's Championships. She will cover all four strokes, as well as putting them all together in the 200 individual medley. The youngest member of the team, Ashley Yearwood, will be covering the middle distance freestyle events, as well as all of the butterfly events and the 50 backstroke. The quartet of girls will also compete in the relay events, the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 freestyle, as well as the 4 x 100 medley.

Nick Thomson, as the veteran male, has been entered in the sprint freestyles and all of the backstroke events, as well as the 50 butterfly. Teammate Julian Fletcher, the double gold winner at this years CARIFTA Swimming Championships, will be competing in all of the breaststroke events and the 50 freestyle. Competition in Monterrey begins on July 8 and will be of six days duration, concluding on July 13, and will of the standard heats and finals format.

The second team will be going to the Alberta Provincial Championships in Edmonton, Canada. The Provincial Championships is now a firm facet on the Bermuda international swimming calendar, as this represents the fourth successive year that Bermuda have attended. The team members, by age group, are Emma Franklin, Morgan Hopkins and Rachael Petty in the 13 and 14 girls; and Nick Patterson in the 13 and 14 boys.

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