Jamaica fourth as Bahamas dominate Carifta Aquatics

NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC):

JAMAICA ENDED the Carifta Aquatic Championships in fourth place on the medal as well as the points table as hosts The Bahamas won an unprecedented sixth successive Carifta Aquatic Championships on Tuesday in one of the most dominant performances in its history.

The Bahamians used home advantage to good effect, amassing 1,096.50 points after four days of competition in the pool at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex in the capital of Nassau, way ahead of their nearest rivals, Cayman Islands, on 660, and Trinidad & Tobago, third on 639.

Jamaica followed with 559 points and 45 medals, inclusive of 18 gold, 12 silver, and 15 bronze.

The Bahamas were also dominant on the medal front, finishing with 34 gold, 39 silver, and 28 bronze for a total of 101 medals.

T&T were second in the medal count with 24 gold, 15 silver, and 17 bronze a total of 56, and the Caymanians rounded out the top three nations on the medal table with 18 gold, 13 silver, and 19 bronze for a total of 50.

“This is our house, and we were able to hold it down,” head coach Travano McPhee told the Nassau Guardian.

“I couldn’t have done it without these amazing swimmers and the great coaches on the staff, and I’m grateful to all of them. This was a complete team effort.”

No country had ever won five consecutive titles before the Bahamians did it last year – the French Antilles won four in a row between 2005 to 2008 – and McPhee said they will be looking to extend their dominance next year in Trinidad.

“The support from the crowd was amazing,” he said.

“I’ve never felt this kind of energy in the stadium before. We want to thank the Bahamian people for that – we couldn’t have done this without their support.

“I’m proud to be a part of this team, and I’m very proud of everyone who contributed and assisted in this sixth straight win. We’re not done yet … next year, we’re going for seven straight.”

One of the highlights on the final day for The Bahamas was a 1-2 sweep in the 11-12 boys’ 50 metres freestyle, where Christon Joseph won the gold in a meet record of 25.78 seconds ahead of compatriot Harold Simmons.

The Bahamas 11-12 boys 4 x 50m free relay squad also won gold in a record time of one minute, 49.20 seconds.

Another notable performance came from Dylan Carter of Trinidad & Tobago, whose time of 21.98 to win the 18-and-over boys’ 50m freestyle surpassed the qualifying standard for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

More than 500 swimmers from 25 nations contested more than 130 events during the Championships.