While celebrating their fairly successful outing at the recently concluded Carifta Swimming Championships, Barbados Head coach Dave Farmer believes there is still much more to be done to improve their aquatic prowess.

Farmer, who admitted that the 23-member team which travelled to the Bahamas was undersized, lauded their efforts, as they bagged 37 medals, inclusive of 15 gold, 15 silver and seven bronze. Though their tally was two medals better than it was last year, they finished one spot lower in fifth position behind powerhouses The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

“I thought we did a very good job. The team really performed well. We exceeded our medal count from previous years, we had 37 medals in total which is a good achievement for us, so the team performed very well, and everyone gave of their best,” Farmer told journalists moments after the team arrived home on Thursday.

“They did quite well last year, they just had two more medals this year, but the team has been working hard. Some of our swimmers have been training for this event since September, October last year. Obviously, they had competitions in between but their main goal was to perform well at Carifta.

“This means we could have a bright future but obviously it means a lot of our age group swimmers need to step up to the plate because there is a lot of work that needs to be done. We had a 23-member squad, but a full team is in excess of 36, so we are still lacking in some categories, and we need to get those gaps filled,” he added.

Barbados was led by the impressive Heidi Stoute, who broke four CARIFTA records in the girls’ 13-14 division on her way to amassing six individual gold medals, along with three relay golds and one silver. Her performance earned her the Federation international de natation (FINA) High Point Award.

Stoute said she was pleased with her accomplishments at the Championships.

“I’m very happy with my performance to bring home these medals for Barbados, not just for myself. I would like to thank everybody who is involved in getting us there…I really do appreciate it and I’m sure the whole team does. We did very well and I’m very happy with what we brought home. The competition was good, it definitely pushed me, but it was fun, and I definitely enjoyed it," Stoute shared.

The outstanding swimmer's next assignment will be the CCCAN, scheduled for June in Mexico.

Howard Wallace may only be 14 years old, but he has already developed an exceptional mental strength and stubborn determination that will certainly serve him well throughout his budding swimming career.

Wallace is one of a few young athletes who can attest to rising above a difficult situation to achieve a remarkable feat, as he battled and overcame a serious shoulder injury to win seven medals at last year’s Goodwill Games in Trinidad and Tobago.

Though admitting that playing the wait game through recovery was sometimes frustrating, Wallace clung to the belief that his injury was a minor setback for a major comeback, and that resilience inevitably saw him fulfil a desire to represent the country.

“It was very difficult season for me because I got injured two months before the Goodwill Games and it was very hard for me to train. Most of the times I had to cut training extremely short, but I managed to pull through and make a recovery in time for the competition,” Wallace said.

“Both the low of the injury and the high of winning those medals told me that I was a strong and determined person, because even though I was injured I still pushed through. It also showed how much potential I have,” he added.

It is said that most great people have attained their greatest success just one step behind their greatest failure, and given what he has accomplished, those famous words of American author Napoleon Hill resonated with Wallace, as he recalled his journey back from injury, which threatened to derail his swimming ambitions.

“My shoulder injury was a massive setback back in terms of my training and preparation for my competitions. Most days, I would just cut training short, and I wouldn’t be satisfied with the amount of training I would get during the week, so it was quite hard to make a full recovery,” Wallace, who hails from Montego Bay shared.

“It was specifically bad because my best and favorite stroke is butterfly, and my shoulders are an integral part of performing that stroke. After training I would have to do physiotherapy sessions just to make sure there was nothing too serious happening with my shoulder, and to make sure I could go to meets and training.

“There were days when I could not complete a simple warm up set. But with the help of coach Rory Alvaranga and the physical therapist I improved overtime and was able to represent the country,” Wallace continued.

Blessed with a clean bill of health since his exploits in the twin island republic, Wallace, who currently attends Jamaica College, has made the most of it throughout the 2023 season with some credible performances.

“My season has been good so far, not necessarily my best, but I’m pleased with my performances because I know that with time I’ll be exactly where I want to be because I believe the best is yet to come,” Wallace declared.

Looking ahead, Wallace has his sights firmly set on making Jamaica’s team to next year’s Carifta Swimming Championships and has even taken steps to ensure he continues to improve his craft.

“I made the decision to undergo a more rigorous training course and become a lot more focused because it is my intention to qualify for and make the Carifta Games next year and make my mark.  My overall goals and ambition going forward is to continue competing for my country and by God’s grace, make it to the Olympics Games where I can perform internationally and make my country proud,” Wallace noted.

The Bahamas Aquatics Federation (BAF) is targeting US$1 million to stage next year’s Carifta Swimming Championships from March 28 to April 7.

“While this (raising $1 million) has never been done before by the federation, we believe that it is indeed possible. We ask corporate Bahamas and every Bahamian citizen to support Team Bahamas by contributing any amount to this fundraising goal,” said BAF President Algernon Cargill, who also serves as the vice chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event.

The meet will be staged at a renovated Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex and provides the opportunity for the Bahamian Carifta swimmers to perform at home for the first time since 2017.

“Winning our sixth title at home will not be easy and we will certainly need the support of all Bahamians, particularly corporate Bahamas, to support the marketing efforts of the Local Organizing Committee,” Cargill added.

The event is expected to attract some of the region's budding swimmers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Cayman Islands, among others.

Defending champions, the Bahamas hauled in a total of 20 medals that includes eight golds, five silvers and seven bronze medals. medals on night one of the 2023 CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Curacao on Thursday.

Nigel Forbes swam to a new record 54.75 in the 15-17 Boys 100m Butterfly, breaking the previous record 54.85.

The Bahamas also finished top of the podium in the 11-12 Boys and Girls 200m Breaststroke races.

Jaylah Threadgill produced a personal best of 3:03.68 to win the girls category while Trace Russell swam 2:50.46 for gold in the boys division.

Emmanuel Gadson won the 15-17 boys 200m breaststroke with a time of 2:22.85. David Singh took gold in the 50m backstroke with a time of 31.15 seconds. Saleste Gibson secured the gold in the 11-12 girls 100m Butterfly when she stopped the clock on 1:09.11.

The Bahamians also took gold in the boys and girls 11-12 4x400m Freestyle relays.

Bahamas leads the overall points standings after day one with 262 ahead of the Cayman Islands (175), Barbados (135), Trinidad and Tobago (120) and Martinique (105.5).

The three awards won at the recent 2022 RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards have come as a boon of motivation for both athletes and members of the coaching staff of the Tornadoes Swim Club.

On Friday, January 20, three swimmers of the Kingston-based club were recipients of a national award for their successes in both swimming and triathlon over the past year.

Leading the pack in swimming is the now overseas-based,18 -year-old Sabrina Lyn, former Tornadoes Swim Club member, who copped the 2022 Female Swimmer of the Year Award following gold medal performances at the 2022 Carifta Swimming Championships where she also set a personal best time the 100m Butterfly and set a meet record in the relay.

Lyn also won gold and other medals at the inaugural Caribbean Games held in Guadeloupe and set the 200m record in the butterfly at the CCAN Swimming Championship in Barbados.

The talented young swimmer, who was recently accepted to Louisiana State University (LSU) said that receiving the award has been a “very honouring experience”. She said that she felt inspired to walk in the footsteps of Jamaica’s swimming doyenne Alia Atkinson who also received the national honour.

“This makes me feel like I am on track to represent Jamaica and my club and to walk in her footsteps on the Olympic stage,” she said.

Female Triathlete of the Year is Rihanna Gayle copped first place at the the Jamaica National Championship Triathlon and was a silver medalist in the CARIFTA Aquathlon in Bermuda last November.

Gayle also secured silver in the World Triathlon Development Regional Cup hosted in Santa Domingo in October 2022.

“It was a big motivation for me to be there at the ceremony and to be recognized among all the great athletes in Jamaica,” said the 17-year-old, who is a student at the St. Andrew High School for Girls.

“Triathlon is a unique sport, and it takes a lot of work, but I am also willing to work hard to accomplish more and to go further in the Triathlon.”

Sixteen-year-old Israel Allen, a student at Jamaica College and National Triathlon Champion, was elated to receive the Male award and is proud of his achievements in the sport.

Allen has represented Jamaica on various occasions in both competitive swimming and triathlon and has won several awards including a bronze medal for Jamaica at the 2022 CARIFTA Aquathlon.

Head Coach of the Tornadoes, Wendy Lee was in a jubilant mood following last Friday’s announcements and hailed the success of the three awardees who she says, “Have been striving towards excellence since they were eight years old.”

 “These awards are indeed a physical manifestation of the hard work that we continue put in to producing Jamaica’s best aquatics athletes and as head coach, I am extremely proud of the strides that all our athletes are taking led of course by Sabrina, Rihanna, and Israel,” Lee said.

She credits the round of successes the club secured in 2022 to the holistic approach that the club takes to athlete development.

“All of our swimmers are actively pursuing big goals both in and outside of the pool,” Lee said.

“We are committed to age-appropriate training of the highest standards for all our swimmers, and we are truly honoured to continue to facilitate and nurture this tradition of excellence.”

In 2022, the Tornadoes secured victory in seven of nine local meets and are already preparing for what is expected to be continued success in 2023.

The Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago has named their team for the 2022 CARIFTA Swimming & Open Water Championships in Barbados this month.

The Championships will run from April 16-19 at the Barbados Aquatic Centre in Wildey, Christ Church while the open water 5k will take place in Carlisle Bay on April 20.

The team for the pool portion is as follows: Saphire Wong Chong-Achee (Female 11-12), Alejandro Agard, Marcus Alexander (Male 11-12), Zachary Anthony, Giovanni Rivas, Liam Carrington, Liam Roberts (Male 13-14), Nikoli Blackman, Johann-Matthew Matamoro, Zarek Wilson, Aaron Stuart (Male 15-17).

Blackman, Anthony and Carrington will also compete in the Open Water event while that team also includes Irmani Smith (Female 14-15), Zoe Anthony, Amelia Rajak and Jade Foncette (Female 16-18).