Latest ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É
‘We’re ready’ - Jamaican team prepared for Goodwill Swim Championships despite costly fee
July 11, 2025
Kristina Chuck-Smith, Jamaica's team manager for the Goodwill Swimming Championships, said they are ready to complete at the championships despite the significant cost of over $400,000 per swimmer.
Jamaica will be fielding a contingent of 39 swimmers and five members of their management staff to the 2025 Goodwill Swimming Championships set for August 15-17 in Barbados.
Chuck-Smith said the athletes are ready to compete and have been working extensively ahead of the competition.
"I'm very happy to see this team that's going down. It's gonna be a strong team," she said.
"We're gonna have some great performances. We have swimmers aged seven to 17 that are national record holders and meet record holders, but also some very strong swimmers who have won medals in local meets recently."
She added, "They are ready. We are ready and we're gonna fly Jamaica's flag very high, very proudly."
However, the cost to compete will come at a significant financial burden in an excess of over $400,000 per athlete.
Chuck-Smith explained the cost will go towards the team's travel, accommodation and gears, which have been heavily impacted by the cost of travelling within the Caribbean region.
This cost, she explained, will be mostly funded by the parents involved.
"Speaking of parents having to fund, yes, we have a little over $400,000 for most people to be funding per child. But that includes accommodation, airfare, food and transportation while we're there and gears. So anyone who has travelled in the Caribbean knows that the airfare is significantly high," the team manager explained.
"When you compare it to travelling to the US, it is high and that's not something we can control. Also, the accommodation, transportation and meals are not controlled by us. We were given the amount by the local organising committee, and so we have to go by what they tell us."
Chuck-Smith also explained that the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) has also supported the team's trip to Barbados through funding and other fund-raising activities.
"I will say the ASAJ has given us some help already. They raised some funds at the award ceremony and they have pegged some for us.
"So we are going in with some funding from the ASAJ, but also they have two initiatives that they're having on July 12, a movie night and a kaluki (Jamaican Rummy) night and we expect a lot of support there that will help to lower the cost per parent."
Jamaica will be looking to improve on their results at last year's staging where they finished fourth overall with 20 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals.
