Dylan Carter takes on Paris, hits pool in men's 100m freestyle

ACE Trinidad and Tobago swimmer Dylan Carter will be this country's second participant at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games when he dives into action in the men's 100-metre freestyle event from approximately 5.17 am (TT time) at the Paris La Defense Arena on July 30.

The 28-year-old Carter is competing in his third Olympics, and he also had the honour of being TT's co-flag bearer with Michelle-Lee Ahye for the opening ceremony on July 26. After featuring at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the subsequent Tokyo Games, Carter was TT's first athlete to qualify for the Paris Olympics when he copped a gold medal at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale in March 2023.

Carter will line up in the seventh of ten heats in the 100m freestyle, and will swim out of lane three. Carter has an entry time of 48.16 seconds, the third-best among the swimmers in his heat. Dutch swimmer Sean Niewold and French teenager Rafael Fente-Damers (both 48.14) will go into heat seven with the best entry times of the eight swimmers.

The competitive 100m freestyle field features 79 swimmers, with the top 16 advancing to the semifinals scheduled for 2.30 pm on July 30. The final will be contested on July 31.

Carter holds the TT national record in the 100m freestyle, and he'll be hoping to come close to his best form when he enters the Paris La Defense Arena. At the three-leg World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in 2022, Carter earned the title of the best male swimmer, and he added five medals to his name at the 2023 edition of the World Cup — including two silver medals and a bronze in the 100m freestyle.

After competing in the 100m freestyle, Carter will return to the pool on August 1 when he contests heat eight of the 50m freestyle.