Water babe ..
Vivita Bai of the Barracuda Club competes in the 4x400 metres medley during the Long Course Swimming Championship at the Damodar City Aquatic Centre in Laucala Bay, Suva yesterday.
THE Fiji Swimming Federation has set its eyes on next year’s international and local competitions.
With the last laps of the Long Course Championship, FSF president Ben Rova is happy with the young swimmers’ performance. “Since this is an Olympics qualifier it’s compulsory that we meet a standard,” he said.
“I acknowledge the efforts of the coaches and swimmers knowing that despite Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasa which hindered preparations, we are grateful that it did not dampen their spirits.
“I have been observing all the swims performance and I am pretty happy of what I have seen so far especially to those swimmers who are vying for the Olympics.
“Some of them did some exceptional performances, so they were given opportunities to better their time.
“It’s important for them because this is the event where their times will be matched with FINA points and they will be awarded those points and then there will be part of the selection that we are looking at when we will select the male and the female who will represent us to the Pacific Games.”
He said they were hoping to have another similar event just after Easter in 2021.
“But again if the borders aren’t opening and these guys are not being able to go to overseas, we have to rely on the preparations that we are doing here in Fiji. We have seen so far is that we are on track and if the weather improves we should see some good times also.”
He added that when COVID-19 hit it had a little impact on them.
“As soon as we allow competition even though with restricted numbers we straightaway implemented our calendar and do some of the revisions which were a success. Now we are also hosting the Oceania Championship in May 2021, now that’s a little bit touching hope because of the borders at the moment but for us as a federation we must prepare ourselves because it could be on the 11th hour that they might say borders open we going ahead with the championship.”
Competition continues today.