Bermuda will be aiming to clinch further glory at the third annual Carifta Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships in Montego Bay, Jamaica, starting tomorrow.

The 15-member team will be looking to build on the momentum of 12 months ago in Tobago, where Bermuda clinched a second-place finish overall in the medal table, with Jasmine Hasselkuss and Nick Pilgrim both adding gold to the overall haul.

The majority of team members from last year’s success return for this year’s competition, which kicks off with the 16 to 19 age group aquathlon (swim followed by a run), followed by the 11 to 12 and the 13 to 15 age group triathlons.

On Sunday, the younger age groups will compete in the aquathlon followed by a sprint distance triathlon for the 16 to 19 age group. This year the event organisers have also added have an open, sprint-distance triathlon to proceedings in which Neil De Ste Croix, the team’s coach, and parents Clive Langley and Arthur Wightman will be competing.

Rounding out the event will be a mixed team relay aquathlon, which will comprise teams of two males and two females, with each team member swimming 250 metres and running 2½ kilometres before tagging the next team member.

Ahead of their departure, the athletes were handed a welcome boost, with De Ste Croix revealing that two-times world champion and national hero Flora Duffy, fresh from her gold medal-winning return to action at the Tokyo Olympic Test Event on Wednesday, took time to give her well wishes to the team.

“The athletes are all extremely focused and have trained exceptionally hard to get to where they are fitness wise,” said De Ste Croix

“They were given a huge boost on Thursday morning with a video message from world-class triathlete and local treasure, Flora Duffy, from Japan where she had just won the Olympic test event.

“As a coach I am immensely proud of each and every athlete and am excited to see them perform over the weekend.”