Carrington, Ferguson, Anthony reflect on Carifta Aquatic success

The 2025 Carifta Aquatic Championships closed with a wave of powerful performances from the region’s brightest young swimmers, among them Trinidad and Tobago’s Liam Carrington, Zuri Ferguson and Zachary Anthony.

The trio turned in standout performances, breaking records, defying expectations, and leaving no doubt about TT’s swimming future.

Their combined efforts, alongside equally significant performances from their teammates, saw the host nation complete their Carifta campaign with 59 medals – 25 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze – and finish second overall.

For Carrington, he swam to eight 15-17 boys individual and four relay gold medals, and one silver. He set four new individual Carifta records and two national records, and teamed up to set three more Carifta records in the relays.

While others might have felt the pressure of a major meet, Carrington approached it with calm confidence – and delivered in style. His defining moment came in the 400m freestyle, a race where adversity struck early.

“My goggles filled up a few times,” he recalled. “But I was able to bounce back and still come first. I’m pleased with that.”

Carrington exceeded his own expectations at this year’s edition and is already thinking ahead. “Another year at Carifta, bigger and better things. I just want to keep building and hopefully next year, come out even stronger.”

With dreams of making the World Championships, Carrington’s journey is far from over.

Ferguson shone brightly in the 15-17 girls division as she splashed to three Carifta records in every backstroke event – 50m, 100m and 200m. The US-based swimmer also dominated in other events and racked up several other podium finishes.

Ferguson turned the backstroke events into her personal showcase, shattering Carifta records in all three distances while competing across a packed schedule that included individual medleys, freestyle and butterfly events.

“I just wanted to race to the best of my ability without that weight on my shoulders,” Ferguson said. “It went a lot better than I expected. The crowd’s energy really lifted me.”

Focused yet grounded, Ferguson credited her success to a balance of competitive drive and joy. “Just to see what I can do and have fun with it – that’s what this meet was about for me.”

With her family in the stands for a rare opportunity to watch her compete, Ferguson said, “It’s such an honour. I feel so grateful to have the chance to make all of them proud.”

Likewise, Anthony capped off his Carifta campaign in the Open Water event on April 23, and swam to gold in the 16-18 male 5K distance. Over the three previous days, he also notched podium performances at the indoor events, held at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva.

For him, this year’s Carifta was more than just a competition – it was a breakthrough. The seasoned swimmer, competing in his final Carifta, found gold in the 800m freestyle and delivered a gutsy performance in the 200m butterfly after a gruelling schedule.

“It’s really amazing. I haven’t done this well in a long time. I’ve been at a plateau, trying to drop times. It’s been really hard, but I just took all the encouragement from my coaches, friends, and family and gave it my all,” he said.

Anthony highlighted the support from his peers, especially fellow swimmer Dominic Hilton from the Cayman Islands, and set his sights on bigger stages – Central American and Caribbean Swimming Federation (CCCAN), Pan American, and even the World Championships.

“Right now, I’m at a speed where improving gets harder – you’re already fast, and now it’s about refining strokes and kicks. I’m ready for that challenge,” he said, looking ahead to university and continued growth.

With eyes now turning to continental and global competition, Anthony, Ferguson and Carrington represent not just the present, but the promising future of TT swimming. (With reporting by Jelani Beckles).