US-based Dylan Carter, Joshua Romany and the 15-17 boys medley relay quartet all established new meet records as T&T bagged an impressive nine gold medals, two silver and a bronze on the second night of the 28th edition of the Caribbean Free Trade Association (Carifta) Swimming Championships at the National Stadium Pool, Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday.
The 16-year-old Carter who improved on his own 15-17 100 metres butterfly record of 55.79 with a gold medal time of 55 seconds on Friday, outdid his rivals in the 200m freestyle splash with a sizzling mark of one minute, 50.35 seconds to better Romany's 2012 record of 1:52.46.
He also finished well ahead of Jordy Groters of Aruba who clocked 1:59.14 and Cayman Islands' Geoffrey Butler (1:59.47).
Romany also earned his first individual gold of the championships when he lowered the 15-17 50m butterfly record of 25.16–set six years ago by Vereance Burrows–with his 25.06 clocking to beat Suriname's Zuhayr Pigot (25.68) and Renzo Tjon A Joe (25.75).
In the final event, Carter who was disqualified in the morning heats of the 100m backstroke after he executed the turn too early and had non-continuous motion into the wall, swam the lead-off leg for the 15-17 relay quartet which also involved Jonathan Ramkissoon, Romany and Jabari Baptiste to set a new mark of three minutes, 56.33 seconds. The old record was set by the T&T team of Emiro Goosen, Ross Phillip, Carter and Romany. Second was Suriname in 4:00.18 and third, Jamaica in 4:04.23.
Also, in gold medal form for T&T as it sought to secure a first Carifta title in three years were Jada Chai, Kael Yorke, Amira Pilgrim, Canada-based Adrian Goin, Florida-resident Tyla Martin and Ariel Cape.
Chai stroked her way to gold in the 11-12 50m butterfly in 31.13 followed by Aruba's Keeley Maduro (31.24) and Guadeloupe's Mathilde Jean (31.37) while in the boys' equivalent Yorke won in 28.64, just ahead of Martiniquans, Yannis Lerider (28.70) and Jordan Laventure (29.31) with T&T's Jeron Thompson just missing a medal in fourth with 29.33.
Pilgrim outswam her rivals in the 13-14 girls 50m butterfly in 29.96 to beat Jamaican Angara Sinclair (30.19) and Martinique's Sandrine Fanchonna (30.49) into second and third respectively.
In the boys event in the same age group, Goin got his second individual gold, this time in 26.35 followed by Aruban, Joseph Winterdal (26.97) and Netherland Antilles' Adrian Hoek (27.15).
Martin also claimed her second individual gold of the meet when she touched the wall in 29.05 to edge out Barbadian rival Zabrina Holder (29.23), while Taryn Smith of Bahamas got bronze in 29.77 and another T&T swimmer, England-based Rebecca Marshall, seventh in 30.58.
Cape was the final individual gold winner on the night for T&T as she withstood the challenge from Sinclair in the 13-14 girls 100m backstroke with a time of 1:10.44 to her rival's 1:10.81. Guadeloupe's Charlotte Backovic was third in 1:11.61.
Baptiste (1:00.19) was second behind Jamaican Timothy Wynter (58.77) in the 15-17 boys 100 backstroke with another Jamaican, Cameron Chow (1:00.41) third. The 15-17 girls 400 Individual Medley team of Martin, Alexandria Donahue, Syriah David and England-based Rebecca Marshall also ended second in 4:30.84 behind Jamaica (4:30.65) in a very close finish. A distant third was Guadeloupe in 4:35.48.
The meet concludes today.
Other finalists in Individual events
Girls:
11-12 200m freestyle: Jada Chai–5th
15-17 200m freestyle: Rebecca Marshall–4th
11-12 100m backstroke: Hannah Chatfield–4th
11-12 400m IM: Vrisnelit Faure–7th; Hannah Chatfield–9th
13-14 400m IM: Shania David–8th
15-17 400m IM: Syriah David–9th; Theana Hay–10th
Boys:
11-12 200m freestyle: Kael Yorke–5th
13-14 100m backstroke: Revash Ramtahal–5th
11-12 400m IM: Mark Anthony Beckles–DSQ
13-14 400m IM: Christian Marsden–8th; Kyle Caracciolo–DSQ
15-17 400m IM: Jonathan Gillette–6th; Jeron O'Brien–10th
Medals standings
Teams G S B Total
T&T 13 5 6 24
Aruba 10 9 5 24
Jamaica 9 5 9 23
Barbados 7 4 7 18
Guadeloupe 6 16 9 31
Suriname 5 7 3 15
Bahamas 5 4 7 16
Cayman Islands 2 1 4 7
Martinique 1 3 6 10
Bermuda 1 1 1 3
Grenada 0 2 0 2
French Guiana 0 1 0 1
Netherlands Antilles 0 0 1 1