Carifta open water gold for Trinidad and Tobago duo

TRINIDAD and Tobago swimmers Zachary Anthony and Marena Martinez added two more medals to the nation’s 2025 Carifta Aquatics Championships tally as they splashed to gold in their respective Open Water divisions at Chaguaramas on April 23.

The TT duo completed their respective Carifta swim campaigns with Anthony splashing to victory in the 5k male 16-18 category while Martinez topped the field in the female 14-15.

Anthony completed the course in one hour, two minutes and 39.4 seconds (1:02.39.4) and was the only TT male to make the top ten. Cayman Islander and silver medallist Dominic Hilton finished just under a minute behind Anthony, in 1:03.03.1

Swimming to bronze was Martinique’s Nicolas Anais-Thiery in 1:03.38.1 while US Virgin Islander Kaeden Gleason (1:04.25.8) and Bahamian Malcom Menzies (1:05.12.7) rounded off the top five respectively.

In this category, TT’s Jannai Applewhaite (1:13.07) was 14th of 17 swimmers while Isaiah Alexander was unable to complete the course.

However, Martinez ensured the girls got on the podium as she sped to victory in 1:13.04.2, over two minutes faster than her nearest rival, eventual runner-up Diella Maynard (1:15.38.5) of USVI. Bajan Lailah McIntyre (1:15.45.7) earned bronze, with Martinique’s Maelyss Octave (1:16.05.5) and Bahamian Gillian Albury (1:17.04.5) in fourth and fifth respectively.

The pair’s haul on the final day of Carifta Aquatic competition carried TT’s medal tally to 59 overall – 25 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze. TT finished second overall behind the Bahamas, who swam to 74 overall – 27 gold, 23 silver and 24 bronze. Jamaica were third overall with 56 medals – 21 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze.

Meanwhile, in the male 14-15 5k open water, Cayman Islands’ Lennox Turnham-Wheatley (1:06.19.1) won gold, Martinique’s Mael Burgos (1:06.51.1) grabbed silver and USVI’s Cole Cullinan (1:06.54.6) took bronze.

TT’s Zion Applewhaite (1:15.06.2) was ninth while compatriot Aaron Siewlal did not finish. And in the 16-18 female, Martinique splashed to a one-two finish with Ludyvia Guilon-Bussi (1:09.03.9) topping the field and Maylis Lestrade (1:10.08) coming in second, with Guadeloupe’s Emeline Massiot (1:10.08.3) completing the podium.

TT’s Keryn Burke (1:11.40.9) was fifth, Aimee Le Blanc (1:18.33) 13th and Ava Charles (1:23.33.6) 15th.