The first day of the World Aquatics Short Course Swimming Championships presented a blend of triumphs and challenges for Trinidad and Tobago’s swimmers in Budapest, Hungary, on Tuesday.
Zuri Ferguson, who made history in the women’s 100-meter backstroke, took the spotlight for the Twin Island Republic, while seasoned Olympian Dylan Carter went heartbreakingly close to the finals in the men’s 50-meter butterfly.
Ferguson, 17, delivered a standout performance in the women’s 100m backstroke, as she broke multiple national records despite missing out on the semifinals. Competing in heat four, the Olympian clocked 1:00.12 to smash Ornella Walker’s national record of 1:01.92 and Jahmia Harley’s 15-17 age group record of 1:03.59.
The highly competitive heat saw the top six swimmers separated by just over a second. Kazakhstan’s Xeniya Ignatova (59.01s) topped the field, followed by Finland’s Fanny Teijonsalo (59.27s).
Uruguay’s Abril Aunchayna and Justine Murdock of Lithuania were tied for third at 59.56s, while Ferguson narrowly trailed Venezuelan Carla Gonzalez, who finished in 1:00.11.
Although Ferguson’s time placed her 35th overall out of 63 swimmers, and she fell short of the semifinal cut, her record-breaking feat was a proud moment for Trinidad and Tobago.
However, the young sensation Ferguson is far from finished, as she is set to compete in the women’s 50m backstroke on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Carter showcased his prowess in the men’s 50m butterfly heats, where he finished second in heat eight with an impressive time of 22.18, just behind the Netherlands' Nyls Korstanje (21.62s). The performance secured Carter a spot in the semifinals as the seventh-fastest qualifier.
In the semifinal, Carter delivered a slightly faster 22.16s but placed fourth in his heat, narrowly missing a final berth. Italian Michele Busa (22.08s), Singapore’s Tzen Wei Teong (22.04s), and Korstanje (21.81s) edged him out. Overall, Carter ranked ninth—one spot short of the top eight required to advance.
Still, he will return to the pool on Wednesday with hopes of better fortunes in the men’s 100m freestyle.
Though the results were not entirely what they desired, they represent a somewhat positive start and offered a glimpse of what promises to be an exciting week of competition for Trinidad and Tobago, with University of Tennessee swimmer Nikoli Blackman also set to compete in the men’s 200m freestyle on December 15.