LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

NATIONAL SWIMMING technical director Jackie Walter said she is confident Jamaica will improve on their fourth-place finish at last year's CARIFTA Championships when the 2007 edition is held next month at the National Stadium pool.

"This is the best team we've had since we last won in 2003," said Walter at the event's launch yesterday at the Sports Development Foundation office in Kingston.

"The standards are going to be high as it is a qualifier for the 2008 Olympics and Jamaica always step up when the competition is staged here."

The championships is also a qualifying meet for this year's Pan American Games.

Jamaica, hosts in 1999 and 2003 when they won, will be represented by a 36-member team during the four-day championships which begin on April 7. Thirteen Caribbean nations will take part with a total of 248 swimmers between 11 and 17 years old.

The most experienced in Jamaica's squad is Olympian Brad Hamilton, who will be competing in the boys' 15-17 category. He won seven gold medals last year and Walter says he is currently in good form.

"Brad recently won the state high school championship for Baylor High in Tennessee so he is in very good form," she said.

Twelve-year -old Kendese Nangle, who attends Campion College and recently set the 11-12 age group national record (11.28) in the 100m butterfly, is another expected to do well in her category.

Strong contenders

In Jamaica's quest to win the CARIFTA Swimming Championships for a third straight time as hosts, they will have to match or surpass the performances of strong contenders The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago and reigning champions French Antilles.

Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) president John Eyre said the Stadium pool will be furnished with new timing pads for the tournament. The pads, which cost about $1 million, were a part of the ASAJ's $9 million budget. Eyre said just about $1 million more is needed for the association to meet all its needs.

"The additional money is needed to take care of tents for the stands and making sure we have sufficient transportation," said Eyre.

"We would be able to work without the rest of the money but I'm confident we will get it."

At last year's championships in Barbados , Jamaica won 26 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze, the second highest medal haul, but finished fourth on the points table.

The squad will officially begin training as a group on Monday.