Saint Lucia is currently hosting the 28th edition of the Goodwill Swimming Championships this weekend.
The event features 300 swimmers from 10 territories.
The championship began yesterday at the Rodney Heights Aquatics Centre in Gros Islet and will continue through Sunday, August 18.
This is the biggest meet ever hosted by the Saint Lucia Aquatics Federation, with visiting teams including Jamaica, the Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Curaçao, Grenada, Suriname, and the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Unfortunately, Guyana, a Goodwill founding member, will not be participating for a third straight meet.
The Goodwill Swimming Championships is an annual, age-group swimming tournament for select countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), aimed at providing exposure to younger and less-experienced swimmers.
Saint Lucia last hosted the championships in 2017, and this time, they are pleased to be hosting twice as many competitors.
Hundreds of visitors, including swimmers, coaches, team officials, family, and supporters, are expected to be on the island.
An Opening Ceremony was held on Friday, and with over 600 visitors anticipated, keen and intense friendly rivalry during the swim meet is expected. Each federation can enter a maximum of four swimmers per gender, per age group, and up to forty athletes.
Additionally, participants must be citizens or residents of the country they are representing.
Support from the Government of Saint Lucia, the National Lotteries Authority, and the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee has been important in hosting the 2024 Goodwill Swimming Championships.
Being such a significant event, Saint Lucians are encouraged to come out and show their support for the hosts and all visiting teams.