Barbados Today

Five Barbadian young ladies head to the 2018 CARIFTA Swimming Games in Jamaica to represent their country in the little-known sport of Artistic Swimming. Synchronized swimming was officially renamed in 2017 by the governing body FINA.

Samaiyah Forde (14), Nia Morris (13), Hailey Mahy (13) and Gracie Foster (12) were part of the historic team that represented Barbados in Martinique at the 2016 CARIFTA Swimming Games. They, along with four others, shocked regional synchronised swimmers by convincingly winning bronze in the Under-12 Group routine on their first outing to a competition.

Forde, who not only swims but studies ballet and jazz will partner with Morris, an athlete who competed in the inaugural CARIFTA Triathlon and Aquathlon in 2017 in Barbados. They will perform a duet to Parov Stelar’s quirky song “Booty Swing”.

Artist and Olympians Swim Club coach, Hailey Mahy, will be the alternate for the duet. Foster, a Barbadian who now lives and trains in Canada, is a well-rounded swimmer. She will be performing a solo and along with her team-mate Erika Loustric (15), are ones to watch. They competed at CCCAN 2017 in Trinidad. Loustric, who is a seasoned competitor in her own right, having competed in 2014 at CISC winning a bronze and 2015 at CCCAN Barbados winning a gold medal, will be performing a sultry solo.

Artistic Swimming is a challenging sport that combines athleticism, endurance, performance abilities and dance skills. The Barbadian ladies will be in the water this Sunday between 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jamaican time, for the figures competition.

They will perform their routines on April 2 and 3.