This is the High Performance Academy Swim Team, a squad made up of some of the top youth swimmers from nations across Asia and Europe.
The team was only put together last August with just five swimmers – two Malaysians, two Filipinos, and one Hungarian – but their performance has already created enough of a buzz to add seven more national youth swimmers (mostly from Japan) into the programme.
“We got a group of very dedicated athletes,” said Head Coach Simon Jones.
One of the team's best displays came last November at the Singapore leg of the FINA World Cup Championships, when 16-year-old Roxanne Yu and 17-year-old Jethro Chua, both representing the Philippines, each broke national swim records (a total of four).
They followed that performance up with a strong showing at the Queensland State Championships in December, considered one of the top youth swim meets in the world, where Yu gained a silver medal against the region’s premier swimmers, while several of her teammates made Youth Olympic Games qualifying times.
Singapore's Alethea Toh and Malaysia's Eric Tan have also each stood out in subsequent competitions, gaining podium victories in 2014.
Though several team members have achieved the qualifying times required to represent their respective country at the Youth Olympic Games, which take place in Nanjing later this year, only two from each nation will be chosen, and no spots are guaranteed.
“We're assuming we will know by early June. At the moment we have Hungary, the Philippines, and Singapore who have all achieved good times. We are obviously looking to improve upon that,” Jones said.
In the meantime, there is still unfinished business for the High Performance Academy, with a busy competitive schedule for the next few months.
Team members will compete in meets across the globe, including the Malaysian Open Championships in May, as well as the the SEA Age Group Swimming Championships in Singapore and the Dutch Swimming National Championships, both in June.
In fact, Jones believes his team has the potential for an even bigger stage.
“The Youth Olympic Games would be great, but we are looking towards Rio 2016, on providing the backbone for these swimmers to progress and gain selection there,” he said.