GUYANA has the potential to produce world-class swimmers, but rigorous training by the right individuals are necessary, opines Vice President of the South American Swimming Federation or Confederación Sudamericana de Natación (CONSANAT), Jorge Delgado.

The FINA instructor, who recently helped to facilitate an open water swim meet, told the Guyana Chronicle that he is optimistic about the potential that we have.

The 64-year-old said that the goal of CONSANAT is to have swimmers from Guyana participate in the South American Championships in Open Water Swimming.

He said that when the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) held an open water swim meet last month at Lake Mainstay, the swimmers swam small lengths in comparison to open water swimmers, but the hope is to keep increasing the lengths at different meets.

He said that the onus is on the local swimming authority to seek out talent swimmers, that might mean trips to interior locations and riverine areas where open water swimming might be something natural.

“Once in a while you have to travel to identify talent.”
The Ecuadorian, who competed at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics, said that he would return next year to assess the progress of the local swimmers.