Jamaica’s impressive second-place finish at the 2025 CARIFTA Swimming Championships was no accident, says Lance Rochester, President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ). Instead, it was the result of strategic planning, expanded event participation, and a renewed technical approach to the sport.
Jamaica ended the five-day championships in Bridgetown, Barbados with 795.50 points, a leap from their fourth-place finish in 2024, and behind only perennial champions Bahamas, who topped the standings with 979 points. Trinidad and Tobago placed third with 735 points.
“What we saw this year was the payoff of a very deliberate effort by our coaches and technical teams,” Rochester told Sportsmax.TV. “There was a clear focus on improving in areas where we hadn’t traditionally earned points — events like the long-distance races and individual medleys. That contributed heavily to the overall result.”
The point tally wasn’t the only success. Jamaica also secured 56 medals — 21 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bronze — finishing just one behind Trinidad and Tobago (57) and 18 behind the Bahamas, who led the table with 74 medals (27 gold, 23 silver, 24 bronze).
According to Rochester, one of the critical shifts this year was broadening the team’s competitive scope.
“In years past, we’ve had gaps in certain events — not because of lack of talent, but because of limited preparation or participation,” he said. “This year, we had swimmers in events we’d previously underrepresented, and they didn’t just participate — they medalled. That shows how important event strategy is when you're trying to engineer a rise in the standings.”
This more complete team structure was bolstered by what Rochester describes as improved coaching delivery, a better support system from team management, and the dedication of parents who ensured swimmers were ready to perform under pressure.
The rise in performance has also been fuelled by a growing cadre of technically trained coaches, many of them younger Jamaicans who’ve chosen to stay in the sport.
“This year, we had a major coaching education programme with international input, and the response was phenomenal,” he said. “We now have more coaches not only active but investing in their development — bringing in new ideas, doing research, and staying on the cutting edge.”
Rochester believes this expanding technical pool is essential if Jamaica is to challenge the Bahamas’ long-standing dominance in the region.
Still, structural limitations persist — especially when it comes to access to pools and learn-to-swim programmes, particularly outside of Kingston.
“Let’s be honest, we’re not providing enough opportunities for children from all walks of life to learn to swim,” Rochester said. “This remains one of our biggest obstacles.”
In response, the ASAJ is developing a "sea pool" model, which will use calm bays and harbours to construct controlled swimming spaces. The first pilot is targeted for launch by December 2025.
“Building more pools is a long-term goal, but we need creative solutions now,” he said. “Sea pools allow us to bring swimming to communities that may otherwise never get that opportunity.”
While Jamaica is still chasing the Bahamas in both points and medals, Rochester insists that the team is not far off.
“There’s real energy within the technical team to go one step further,” he said. “We’re analysing where the remaining gaps are, and how we can close them.”