Tokyo-swimming

Havana, November 8 (RHC/JIT)-- Four Cubans will participate in the 15th Short Course Swimming World Championships to be held from December 13th to the 18th in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, national commissioner Nelson Garcia told JIT.

The four places granted by the World Swimming Federation (Fina), two in each gender, will be occupied by Elisbet Gámez, Andrea Becali, Luis Vega and Adrián Navarro, who will compete under the tireless and attentive eye of coach Luisa María Mojarrieta.

Gámez and Vega, Cubans with the best results in recent years, will dive into the 25-meter pool in the 200 and 400 freestyle, and 100 and 200 butterfly, respectively. Becali, for his part, will compete in 100 and 200 backstroke, and the also bookish Navarro in 200 and 400 meters.

"It is a very difficult competition for us, but we are going with the prospect of improving our marks in the short course and being able to set a national record," commented former swimmer García Fernández. We believe that Luis and Andrea have more possibilities at this moment to achieve this goal," he stressed.

According to the historical books of the Cuban Swimming Federation, Elisbet and Luisito are among the short course record holders in four individual events. The native of Baracoa in 100, 200, 400 and 800 m, and in a couple of the capital (200 and 400 m combined).

Both of them also hold the domestic records in Olympic swimming pools (50 m). She in all the events of her style, since she also holds the 50 and 1,500 meters; her partner adds to the combined events the 200 butterfly, and Andrea is the leader in 50 backstroke.

Precisely the youngest, Becali and Navarro, are training to participate along with nine other teammates in the First Junior Pan American Games of Cali 2021, scheduled from November 25 to December 5.

"The preparation for the event in Colombia has been short, but the boys are highly motivated. We carried out a control last week and they were between 95 and 99 percent of their personal best, which fills us with optimism that all of them will be able to meet the objectives, that is to say that they will be close to or do their best records," said the commissioner.

"We cannot be too ambitious because of all the inconveniences we know we have suffered due to the covid-19 pandemic, but we are going to have a good representation, which will make its best effort and will give competition, which is the main goal in Cali", he said.