The situation regarding the training of local swimmers will remain the same for the foreseeable future, according to Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) President Dwayne Scott.
All local public pools have been closed to swimmers since March 2020, and with their inability to train in the water, the local swimmers had become antsy, especially with other sport disciplines being afforded the opportunity to train.
Giving an update to this publication on that situation, Scott highlighted that the National COVID-19 Task Force is adamant about its position and swimmers’ safety.
GASA President Dwayne Scott
“The current situation with the local facility…remains the same, there’s been no changes because, at the Task Force level, they have maintained that they need to make sure the athletes are first safe,” Scott indicated to <<Guyana Times Sport.>>
He continued, “And the only way they can be safe is to be at home, exercising and adhering to the COVID protocols.”
However, the local duo that will be competing for Olympic qualification are the only swimmers that are being allowed to use the local facilities.
“The Olympic athletes have access to the facility, so they continue to do their work out with the coaches,” Scott confirmed.
Meanwhile, Leon Seaton is currently based in Florida, where he will train until he returns in June for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Aside from the group of Olympic hopefuls, Scott explained, there is much to worry about with regard to the training situation, since the Olympic Games are the only pressing international competition on the swim calendar.
“We don’t have a lot to be worried about, except that we don’t have sufficient competitions locally for our Olympic hopefuls, and that would come to the detriment of Andrew and Jamila, who definitely need to have competition-level activity so that they can improve their times and their standards,” the GASA boss shared.
The Olympic size pool at the National Aquatic Centre
While the Olympic Games are set for July 23 to August 8, the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Swimming Championships are currently scheduled for August 13 to 15.
Back in March, parents and swimmers attached to the Dorado Swim Club protested the current closure of public pools in front of the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal. The group argued that swimming is a safe sport to return too, giving pool dimensions and spacing and the unlikelihood that the virus can be transmitted in chlorinated waters.
