Keanan Dols
Jamaica's Olympian Keanan Dols made the difficult decision to retire from competitive swimming due to a chronic knee injury. But Dols is not leaving without hope, as he is taking the lessons learnt in the pool over the years and applying them to the next chapter of her life.
At 25 years old, Dols –who was born in Savanna-la-mar before moving overseas where he grew up in Sarasota, Florida –would have loved to parade his skills at another Olympic Games for the Caribbean Island, but opted not to go against his bodies will.
As such, he swapped his swim trunks for the coaching cap, joining the staff at Villanova University, where he will assist in shaping what he hopes will be the next generation of top-class swimmers.
"Coaching has been the plan for a few years now. Initially I was planning to start coaching after Paris (Olympic Games), but I’ve dealt with some chronic knee issues over the past few years, as well as some hip issues this past season so I made the decision to retire after the college season and begin my move into coaching," Dols told SportsMax.tv from his base in the United States.
"I learnt a lot during my time as an athlete and those experiences have definitely eased the transition as I can draw on that knowledge of the sport and rely on the people who have helped me along the way. I spent some time as a volunteer assistant with the University of Kentucky and Stanford university which were invaluable experiences that aided my decision," he added.
During his career which started in 2015, Dols represented Jamaica at numerous regional and international events, where he won several medals and established a number of national records. however, the biggest highlight of his career was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he swam the 200m butterfly and 200m individual medley (IM), respectively.
He last sported the national colours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and subsequently transferred from Pennsylvania to University of Kentucky to finish off a career which he now reflects on with a great sense of pride.
"I’m definitely very proud of my career. There were ups and downs, but every experience was great as they came with lessons and also served as motivation along the way, so I’m very proud of everything I’ve accomplished. If I could change anything though, it would probably be taking a bit better care of my injuries as they came along," Dols noted.
Still, getting to the high point of his career was by no means easy and required unwavering self-motivation, so while reflecting on his journey, Dols also had some encouraging words.
"When working to achieve your dreams, it is important not to limit yourself. Set your goals as high as possible and even after you achieve them, you have to keep setting the bar higher, always strive to raise the standard of your previous performance," he reasoned.
That said, Dols, who has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in supply chain management, is eager to serve as a great young mentor to Villanova's athletes both in and out of the pool, as his attention to detail is expected to be a great asset to the school's programme.
"I’m extremely excited to be joining the staff at Villanova. It’s a great opportunity to learn and grow as a coach and I’m excited to get to coach a great group of young athletes, who are people first and athletes second," he said.
"I’m very much looking forward to this season and I feel that I bring some high-level international experience and good perspective on elite level training to make a difference," Dols ended.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Dylan Carter headlines T&T's team to World Short Course Championships
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter headlines a three-member team that will represent the Twin Island Republic at the World Aquatics World Short Course (25m) Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The six-day event, scheduled for December 10–15, promises exciting prospects for aquatics enthusiasts as it will feature morning heats and evening semi-finals and finals.
Carter will enter the championship in rich form following his fairly successful World Aquatics Swimming World Cup outing recently, where he pocketed two gold medals and one bronze during the three-leg competition.
The decorated 28-year-old, who is a many-time World Short Course medallist and Olympian, is scheduled to swim the men’s 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m butterfly.
He will be joined by rising sensation Nikoli Blackman, who is currently in his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee. Blackman, a talented and versatile swimmer, will only contest the men’s 200m freestyle event.
Meanwhile, Zuri Ferguson, who paraded her skills at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, is the lone female member of the team. The University of Florida freshman will be targeting at least best times in the women’s 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events.
Another female swimmer, Ornella Walker, who recently shattered Trinidad and Tobago’s 50m and 100m backstroke records, also qualified to make the team but opted not to take up her spot on this occasion.
T&T's Dylan Carter cops gold in men's 50m freestyle at Swimming World Cup
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter secured his second gold of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup Series as he produced a breathtaking performance to land win the men’s 50-metre freestyle in Singapore on Thursday.
Carter, a three-time Olympian, won the event in a brisk 20.82 seconds and left the field in his wake as he was the only swimmer under the 21-second barrier in the final. He won ahead of Australia’s Isaac Cooper (21.01s) and Germany’s Marius Kusch (21.04s).
The 28-year-old Carter is expected to line up in the heats of the men’s 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle on Thursday’s evening session before bringing the curtains down on his campaign in the men’s 50m butterfly on Friday.
Samuda empathizes with Comm Games Federation over scaled-down 2026 event; urges possible compensation for excluded sports
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president, Christopher Samuda, has expressed understanding and empathy toward the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as they face the challenge of hosting a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
With the event, traditionally a grand celebration of sport, culture, and unity, being reduced in size due to economic pressures, Samuda acknowledges the difficulties facing the CGF while also stressing the need to find ways to address the impact this decision will have on several sports that have been cut from the programme.
Diving, rugby, squash, badminton, table tennis, hockey, triathlon, and cricket are among the sports that will not feature in the 2026 edition.
The CGF initially struggled to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year, before Glasgow, known for its rich sporting history as a host city—including hosting the 2014 edition of the game—stepped in to save the 2026 Games. However, this comes with the reality of hosting a more compact edition than previous iterations.
For Samuda, the situation is an unfortunate but understandable outcome in a global landscape.
“The circumstances in which the Commonwealth Games Federation unavoidably found itself inevitably led to a scaled-down edition of the games. I regret the exclusion of badminton, table tennis, squash, and hockey; for those sports, the Jamaica Olympic Association has earmarked for real transitioning. The CGF’s decision was clearly influenced by commercial factors and the economy of a diminished sporting agenda, for at the end of the day, the games must be viable to ensure sustainability,” Samuda said.
However, Samuda also noted that the decision to reduce the scope of the Games, which will see several sports omitted from the 2026 programme, raises important questions about the future of those disciplines within the Commonwealth sporting family.
He argued that the CGF must find ways to compensate the sports that have been excluded, as they are integral to the diversity and spirit of the Commonwealth Games.
“Going forward, however, the CGF has to develop a strategy that will compensate those sports that are being excluded so as not to lose the interest and confidence of their international federations, commercial partners, and most importantly, the players and athletes for whom sports exist,” he reasoned.
Despite the current challenges, Samuda remains optimistic about the future of the Commonwealth Games and the role it plays in uniting nations through sport. He sees the 2026 edition in Glasgow as an opportunity to innovate and adapt, ensuring that the Games remain relevant in a changing world.
The Games will feature a 10-sport programme across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, with more than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.
Athletics and swimming are included as compulsory sports for 2026, while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3x3 basketball.
“It is critical that the next games, while being an economic reinvention, should retain that unique traditional value that has given many sports and invaluable space on the Commonwealth sporting agenda and which have made it competitive as a sporting and commercial product amidst growing competition for the partnership dollar and public viewership and appeal,” Samuda said.
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