Elinah (left) and Amarah Phillip are representing the Virgin Islands at the Carifta Swimming Championship in the Bahamas.

Elinah, however, will surely be looking to put that result behind her as she seeks a better showing in the 11-12 50M Butterfly event this morning. Her sister Amarah, 13, will also be in action this morning in the 13-15 50M Butterfly event.

Both girls qualified for the 2012 Carifta Swimming Championship, where the Virgin Islands is being represented for the first time ever.

Word from the Virgin Islands camp is that the girls are making the necessary adjustments and doing well this being their first showing at the Carifta Championship and first major 50m competition. “We expect butterflies but they are confident in their abilities and are going to go out and perform well. The competition is fierce but it is what we expected at this level,” National Coach Elsworth Phillip related to Virgin Islands News Online via email.

He also said the facilities are excellent “and the girls are focused on making the finals in their events, improving their times and hopefully that will translate into podium appearances”.

In preparation for the prestigious championship, the swimmers attended warm up competitions in St. Croix (Dolphins Invitational March 10-11) and Puerto Rico (Manati Invitational March 24-25). It was also noted that the competitions were held in Olympic sized pools, which are 50 metres in length, and the swimmers had previously never competed in a pool that size and those competitions served as introductions to facilities similar to those in the Bahamas.

“This is their first meet at Carifta, and at that level, as one might know you go to a meet for the first time the results might not be as encouraging as the second time which always seems to be better, for example comparing their results at their first OECS Championships to their second appearance. They have been swimming pretty good times when compared to other swimmers in the region so we basically think that they will at least improve on all the National Records that they have established thus far,” National Swim Coach Elsworth Phillip had told Virgin Islands News Online.

The 2012 Carifta Swimming Championship is being held from April 12 to 15, 2012.