Bermuda’s swimmers made an immediate splash at the XXXIX Carifta Aquatics Championships, securing two podium finishes on a high-octane opening night at the Pierre Samot Community Aquatic Centre.
In the first finals session of the meet in Le Lamentin, Martinique, Teagan Mewett provided the island's breakthrough moment. Competing in the 15-17 Girls 200m Breaststroke, delivered a composed tactical performance. Maintaining a strong position throughout the eight lengths, she touched the wall in 2:45.80 to claim a well-deserved bronze medal, marking Bermuda’s first trip to the podium of the 2026 championships.
The momentum continued in the sprint events, where Rory Shepherd excelled in the 13-14 Boys 50m Backstroke. Having qualified strongly from the morning heats, Shepherd found an extra gear in the final, clocking a blistering 29.19 to secure the silver medal. He was narrowly beaten to the wall by Michael Sobers of Barbados, but his performance ensured Bermuda finished the individual events with a multi-medal haul.
The evening concluded with the traditional fireworks of the relay events. In the 15-17 Boys 4x100m freestyle, the quartet of Connor Hupman, Noah Maranzana, Gabriel Maranzana, and Logan Jones battled hard against a field dominated by the hosts and the Bahamas. The Bermudian team stopped the clock in 3:39.32 to finish in sixth place.
That result was mirrored in the 15-17 Girls 4x100m freestyle relay, where Gabriella Cechini, Katherine Wheddon, Elanna Fulton, and Marleigh Howes produced a spirited display. Navigating a competitive field, the girls' squad also secured a sixth-place finish, recording a time of 4:09.67. With two medals already in the bag and several relay teams showing promise, the Bermuda delegation heads into the second day of competition with significant wind in their sails.
Saturday, April 04, 2026
Bermuda Charge into Finals as CARIFTA Aquatics Begins
IslandStats.com
The XXXIX CARIFTA Aquatics Championships have exploded into life, with a wave of Bermudian swimmers securing their places in the showpiece finals following a dominant opening morning in the pool.
Bermuda's elite established their podium credentials early, navigating a high-stakes preliminary session to ensure the island will be heavily represented when the medals are decided.
In the Girls 15-17 200m Breaststroke, Teagan Mewett delivered a statement performance. Mewett showcased exceptional underwater phase work to clock a sharp 2:45.07, securing her place in the A Final with the second-fastest time overall. Her teammate, Maggie Mewett, finished 13th in 3:08.79.
In the younger bracket, Scarlett Spurling put in a resilient shift in the Girls 13-14 200m Breaststroke, finishing 10th with a time of 3:07.41. The Boys 15-17 division saw Joseph Lau and Noah Maranzana battle through a stacked field to finish 15th and 17th respectively.
The sprint backstroke events proved to be a goldmine for Bermuda's finalists, with four athletes booking their lanes for the evening session.
In the Boys 13-14 50m Backstroke, Rory Shepherd and Dominic Wright produced a clinical double-act. Shepherd touched the wall in 29.56 to qualify 5th, while Wright followed closely in 30.00 to qualify 7th, ensuring a dual Bermudian threat in the A Final.
The senior ranks mirrored this success. Violet Smith displayed impressive explosive power to finish 7th in the Girls 15-17 50m Backstroke (31.58), comfortably advancing to the A Final. In the Boys 15-17 event, Connor Hupman signaled his intent with a blistering 27.26 to qualify 4th fastest for the A Final.
The morning session opened with the gruelling Girls 15-17 800m Freestyle, where Katherine Wheddon topped heat one in 9:54.11, while Jorgia White finished 3rd in the heat with a time of 10:02.88.
In the butterfly lanes, Marleigh Howes demonstrated her versatility. Competing in the Girls 15-17 100m Butterfly, Howes navigated a technical race to clock 1:06.92, qualifying 7th overall to secure yet another A Final berth for the Gombey Warriors.
Friday, April 03, 2026
Regional Heavyweights Arrive as CARIFTA Aquatics Begins
IslandStats.com
The scale of the 2026 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships has been laid bare before a single medal has been contested, with a massive logistical operation welcoming the region’s elite to the poolside.
In a whirlwind 24-hour window, the championships demonstrated their significant regional footprint as 426 athletes and officials successfully checked in. The arrivals hall became a microcosm of the Caribbean basin, with 21 delegations processed across nine different airlines and dispersed to four major accommodation sites.
The logistical sequence began at 9:05 a.m. with the arrival of Caribbean Airlines and did not conclude until 9:30 p.m. In a fitting end to the day’s proceedings, the final group to be welcomed was a 24-strong party from Bermuda, who touched down to complete the first phase of registrations.
The sheer diversity of the field already on the ground reflects the prestige of these championships. Delegations from Barbados, Trinidad, the Bahamas, and Jamaica have joined smaller but equally determined outfits from the likes of Anguilla, Dominica, and Saint Kitts. With the US Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, and Suriname also registered, the event has immediately established a truly pan-Caribbean atmosphere.
The 21 nations currently in residence wasted little time in acclimatising to their new surroundings. Many teams utilized the remainder of the day for light training sessions, shaking off the "travel legs" and finding their range in the competition water.
Beyond the physical preparation, the focus now shifts to the cultural heart of the event. Athletes are currently putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the opening ceremony—a traditional highlight that signals the transition from travel logistics to high-stakes aquatic battle.
With the regional heavyweights now in place and the psychological warfare of the practice lanes underway, the stage is officially set for what promises to be a landmark edition of the CARIFTA championships.
Bermuda enter the stadium in the video at the 1:26:30 mark
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
A Look Back at Bermuda’s CARIFTA Aquatics Records
IslandStats.com
With the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships fast approaching, the spotlight turns to the history books where Bermuda’s swimmers have carved out a formidable legacy of continental records.
The island’s dominant presence at the regional showpiece is immortalized in several long-standing times that continue to set the standard for young talent across the Caribbean. In the Boys 11–12 category, Sam Williamson remains the gold standard for Breaststroke. During a rampant 2017 campaign in Nassau, Williamson swept the records for the 50m, 100m, and 200m distances. His times of 32.42, 1:13.04, and 2:36.67 respectively remain the benchmarks for the next generation of Bermudian Breaststroke specialists to chase.
Perhaps no name looms larger over the CARIFTA record books than Elan Daley, whose versatile brilliance across the 2018 and 2019 championships remains unparalleled in the Girls' divisions. In 2018, competing in Kingston, Jamaica, Daley produced a whirlwind of record-breaking swims in the 11–12 Age Group. Her sprint speed was unmatched, setting the current records in the 50m Freestyle with a 26.59 and the 100m Freestyle in 1:00.06.
Daley’s dominance extended far beyond the Freestyle sprints, as she also claimed records in the 200m backstroke and both Butterfly distances. Her tactical range was further evidenced in 2019 when she moved into the Girls 13–14 Age Group 200m Freestyle, clocking a sensational 2:06.13 in Bridgetown to cement her status as one of the most prolific record-holders in the event's history.
The individual accolades are complemented by a historic performance in the relay events. Bermuda’s 4×100m Freestyle Relay squad, featuring Elan Daley, Jessica Bruton, Taylor White, and Payton Zelkin, still holds the championship mark from their clinical display in April 2017. Their time of 4:16.14 serves as a reminder of the collective depth that has consistently seen Bermuda punch well above its weight on the international stage. As the 2026 cohort prepares for their turn in the spotlight, these historic marks provide the ultimate inspiration for a new era of podium hopefuls.
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Daley Shatters Bermuda Records in Dominant Display
IslandStats.com
Fresh from being crowned Bermuda’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Elijah Daley has delivered a record-breaking masterclass at the 2026 U Sports Swimming Championships. Representing the University of Toronto, Daley signaled his intent from the very first session, systematically dismantling several of his own Bermuda national short course records during a grueling weekend of elite collegiate competition.
The onslaught began during the preliminaries of the 100m butterfly, where Daley clocked a time of 52.81 seconds to shave significant time off the previous benchmark he established at the 2024 World Championships. He carried that momentum directly into the 200m butterfly heats, securing a third-place seed with a blistering 1:58.12, eclipsing a record that had stood since late 2023. Not content with just the butterfly events, Daley also navigated a highly competitive field in the 200m individual medley, qualifying fifth for the final in 1:59.37.
As the lights brightened for the evening’s showpiece A Finals, Daley found another gear. In the 100m butterfly final, he lowered his national record for the second time in twelve hours, touching the wall in 52.56 seconds to claim fifth place overall. He followed this with an equally impressive performance in the 200m medley final, where his time of 1:58.91 broke the record he had set only weeks prior at the Ontario University Championships.
The pinnacle of Daley’s weekend came in the 200m butterfly final. In a display of immense endurance and tactical pacing, he surged to a fourth-place finish in a time of 1:57.32. The performance not only shattered the record he had set earlier that morning but also cemented his status as one of the most versatile and explosive talents in Bermudian swimming history. His ability to peak for the major collegiate finals underscores why he remains the island's premier junior prospect heading into the international summer season.
