A team of 4 swimmers will represent Barbados at the 16TH Panamerican Games. The swimming segment will begin on Saturday October 15th concluding a week later on Friday October 21st. Carrying the challenge for Barbados are SHAWN CLARKE, MARTYN FORDE, LANI CABRERA AND AMARA GIBBS. In an effort to maintain stated quotas the Barbados team size was reduced by COPAG. The female relay team was therefore dismantled through this unfortunate situation.
Currently training in Texas Olympic hopeful Shawn Clarke will be competing in the 100 & 200 M freestyle events. Shawn represented Barbados at the CAC Games in Mayaguez Puerto Rico where he established a new 18 & over age group and a men’s open national record in the 50 M butterfly event. He also holds the current Barbados national age group & open record in the 100 M freestyle event. He also competed at the World Championships in Rome in 2009.
Martyn Forde joined the Wolverine high performance team at the University of Michigan earlier this year and will be competing in the 50 M freestyle event. He represented Barbados at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and has built up a reputation as a formidable sprinter. National Record holder Martyn will be looking to clinch qualifying status for London 2012.
Joining Shawn & Martyn are females Lani Cabrera and Amara Gibbs. Having made her debut appearance at the 1st Youth Commonwealth Games in Pune, India, Cabrera is ready for more open competition. Now training with the Davie Nadadores Swim Team in Florida Lani will be competing in the 400 M IM and the 800 M freestyle. The holder of all but two of the 15-17 female and national open freestyle records and the 400 M IM Lani is on course for a great performance at her first Panamerican Games.
Amara Gibbs is the baby on the team and will be teaming up with Lani to swim the 400 M IM. She will also be competing in the 200 M butterfly. Gibbs, recently back from the 2nd Youth Commonwealth Games in the Isle of Man will be competing at her first Panamerican Games.
The team will be coached by Olympian Leah Martindale and managed by the Association’s Secretary Haresh Gopwani.