The Bahamas continued to reign supreme in Caribbean youth swimming, as they claimed a seventh consecutive Carifta Swimming Championships title and their ninth in the past 10 editions, as the curtain came down on the 38th staging of the event at the National Aquatics Centre on Tuesday.

The defending champions were relentless in the pool over four days of high-intensity competition, topping both the medal table and overall points standings to further solidify their status as the region’s aquatic powerhouse.

They ended the meet with a commanding 74-medal haul — including 27 gold, 23 silver, and 24 bronze, ahead of host nation Trinidad and Tobago, who had 23 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze in their 57-medal haul, and perennial rivals Jamaica, who had 56, including 21 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bonze.

On the points table, the Bahamas amassed a staggering 979 points, well clear of Jamaica’s 795.50 and Trinidad and Tobago’s 735. Interestingly, the top three nations in swimming mirrored the standout trio from the track and field edition of the Carifta Games — albeit in reverse order — showcasing the region’s balanced dominance across disciplines.

The Bahamas’ strength lay in depth and consistency across age groups, particularly in the 11–12 and 15–17 boys’ divisions. In the 11–12 boys, Dexter Russell emerged as a standout performer with 56 individual points, earning victories in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, and 100m butterfly.

Meanwhile, David Singh, representing the 13–14 boys, picked up 43 points with strong podium finishes in breaststroke and IM events. But it was the older boys where the Bahamians truly shone.

In the 15–17 category, while homeboy Liam Carrington dominated with 79 points, Bahamas remained highly competitive with a string of top-five finishes that kept their medal count rising.

The girls’ division also delivered standout performances across several age categories. In the 11–12 girls division, Sapphire Parks of St. Lucia topped the age group with 65 points, claiming victories in multiple events including the 100m and 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, and 400m IM.

Right behind her was Kaija Eastmond of Barbados with 62 points, making her mark in the sprint backstroke and butterfly events. Jamaica’s own Kai Lawson wasn’t far off with 58 points, earning medals in freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.

In the 13–14 girls division, Reagan Uszenski of the Virgin Islands put on a freestyle clinic, dominating mid- and long-distance events to rack up 64 points. However, Skyelar Richards of Jamaica was arguably one of the most electric performers of the meet — earning 61 points and smashing the Championship record in the 50m backstroke with a time of 29.87s, breaking her own record from prelims. She also led the pack in 50m and 100m events across strokes and finished as one of Jamaica’s top medal contributors.

Meanwhile, in the 15–17 girls division, Cayman Islands’ Sierrah Broadbelt ruled the pool with 56 points, shining in butterfly, backstroke, and IM events. Her technical prowess and race management were a key part of Cayman’s strong fourth-place finish overall. Heidi Stoute of Barbados impressed with 51 points, dominating the distance freestyle events, while Zuri Ferguson of Trinidad and Tobago tallied 45 points behind strong record breaking backstroke wins.