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Trinidad and Tobago’s Zuri Ferguson breaks Carifta 50m backstroke record

19 April 2025
This content originally appeared on News Day - Trinidad and Tobago.
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Trinidad and Tobago's Zuri Fergurson exits the pool after competing on Day 1 of the 2025 Carifta Aquatics Championships, on April 19, at the National Aquatic Centre, Couva. - Photo by Grevic Alvarado
Trinidad and Tobago's Zuri Fergurson exits the pool after competing on Day 1 of the 2025 Carifta Aquatics Championships, on April 19, at the National Aquatic Centre, Couva. - Photo by Grevic Alvarado

ZURI Ferguson, Zara Persico and Liam Carrington set the bar high for the Trinidad and Tobago swim team in the opening session of the 2025 Carifta Aquatics Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Balmain, Couva, on April 19.

Ferguson, who made her Olympic debut last year at the Paris Games, had the fastest time in the girls' 15-17 50m backstroke heats as she clocked 29.23 seconds. Ferguson's time was a new Carifta record.

Jamaican Carolyn Levy-Powell had the second-best time of 29.77 and Riley Miller of the US Virgin Islands was third in 30.15.

Persico destroyed the field in her heat of the girls' 13-14 800m freestyle. Persico, who won multiple medals at last year's Carifta Games, showed she has what it takes to compete against the region's best once again.

Persico won her heat in a time of nine minutes, 53.57 seconds (9:53.57) and second-placed Dndn McKenzie of Bahamas finished in 10:02.06. Rounding off the top three was Lailah McIntyre of Barbados in 10:14.26.

Carrington seems poised to capture gold in the boys' 15-17 50m backstroke as he finished his heat in 26.29. The US-based swimmer recorded the quickest time in the heats.

There were a few other endurance events in the opening session.

In heat one of the girls' 15-17 800m freestyle heats, Martinique's Maylis Lestrade set the standard as she clocked 9:44.53. Emeline Massiot of Guadeloupe was next in 9:57.35 and Barbadian Isabella Mayers ended third in 9:59.71. TT's Keryn Burke finished just outside the top three in 10:00.54.

In the boys 13-14 1,500m heat one freestyle race, Jamaican Noland Barrett was first with a time of 17:18.14, followed by Kaylan Williams of Bahamas in 17:52.37 and Jamaican Arush Rochlani ended third in 17:57.36.

Jayrick Winterdal of Aruba (17:33.18), Matthew Kennedy of Jamaica (17:33.56) and William Farrington of Bahamas (17:40.55) had the best times in heat one of the boys 15-17 1,500m freestyle. Persico and the other top swimmers in the 800m and 1,500m events will have to wait until the heats are completed to know if their times are fast enough for a medal.

Persico's event will end in the evening session on April 19.

Ethan McMillan-Cole, Jadon Ramdeen (boys 13-14 200m breaststroke); Catherine Dieffenthaller (girls 15-17 200m breaststroke); Anpherne Bernard (boys 15-17 200m breaststroke); Raegan Belmar, Taylor Marchan and Persico (girls 13-14 50m backstroke); and Shian Griffith (boys 13-14 50m backstroke) were some of the TT swimmers advancing to finals.