The 2026 Carifta Aquatics Championships have drawn to a close in Martinique, with Bermuda’s Jorgia White leading the island's final charge in a grueling open water finale.
Competing in the 5km event along the picturesque but challenging Anses d’Arlet coastal area on the south-west coast, White demonstrated immense grit in the open sea. Navigating the swells and a highly competitive regional field, she touched the line in 1:16:55.91 to secure 13th place overall.
White’s performance served as the final chapter of what has been a highly productive week for the Gombey Warriors. While the open water specialists took center stage on the final morning, the foundation of Bermuda’s success was built in the pool over the preceding days.
The Bermuda Swim Team officially finished 7th overall in the combined team scores, amassing a total of 205 points. It is a result that reflects the island's growing depth, as they finished ahead of several much larger Caribbean nations.
The team returns home with a respectable haul of five medals:
1 Gold, 2 Silver, and 2 Bronze.
With the curtain now down on the 2026 games, the focus shifts to the development of this young squad. The mixture of podium finishes in the pool and determined efforts in the open water suggests that Bermudian swimming remains on an upward trajectory heading into the summer season.
Tuesday, April 07, 2026
Mewett Secures Medal Hat-Trick on Final Night
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s swimming sensation Teagan Mewett has completed a remarkable individual haul at the XXXIX Carifta Aquatics Championships, claiming her third medal of the meet as the pool action reached a crescendo in Martinique.
On the final evening of competition at the Pierre Samot Community Aquatic Centre, Mewett once again demonstrated her status as one of the region’s elite breaststroke specialists. Competing in the 15-17 Girls 100m Breaststroke, she produced a disciplined and powerful display to navigate a high-caliber field.
The Bermudian touched the wall in a clinical 1:16.35 to secure the bronze medal, fending off a late charge from the chasing pack. The result marks a significant milestone for Mewett, who has found the podium with impressive consistency throughout the week. This latest bronze joins her previous successes in the breaststroke sprints, cementing a "hat-trick" of medals that has underpinned Bermuda’s strong showing in the points standings.
Mewett’s performance provided the perfect finale for the Gombey Warriors' pool campaign, which has been defined by a blend of veteran composure and emerging teenage talent. Her ability to deliver under the bright lights of a Carifta final once again highlights the strength of the island’s aquatic program on the international stage.
While the curtain now falls on the events in the pool, the Bermudian contingent can reflect on a campaign where they have consistently punched above their weight. With Mewett leading the charge, the team heads into the post-meet celebrations having firmly established Bermuda as a dominant force in Caribbean age-group swimming.
Monday, April 06, 2026
Shepherd Claims Silver as Carifta Championships Continue
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s swimming contingent continued their campaign at the XXXIX Carifta Aquatics Championships to a resilient close in Martinique, with Rory Shepherd securing his second podium finish of the meet.
On a challenging final evening at the Pierre Samot Community Aquatic Centre, Rory Shepherd provided the highlight in the 13-14 Boys 200m Individual Medley. Showcasing remarkable tactical execution, Shepherd fought his way through the field to touch the wall in 2:22.42, a performance that earned him a magnificent silver medal. It marks his second visit to the podium following his backstroke success earlier in the week. Teammate Dominic Wright also featured in the high-caliber final, placing fifth in 2:26.41.
The endurance specialists were in action earlier in the session, testing their resolve over the longest distances of the meet. In the 15-17 Girls 1500m Freestyle, Katherine Wheddon led the Bermudian effort with a fifth-place finish in 19:17.94, followed closely by Jorgia White who secured sixth. In the 13-14 Boys 800m Freestyle, Dominic Wright narrowly missed out on the medals, finishing fourth in a time of 9:29.81.
Bermuda was well-represented in the individual medley and sprint finals throughout the evening. Teagan Mewett placed sixth in the 15-17 Girls 200m IM with a 2:33.76, while Gaby Cechini followed in seventh. Mewett returned to the blocks shortly after to claim fifth in the 50m Breaststroke, stopping the clock in 35.40. In the 15-17 Boys 200m IM, Connor Hupman secured a credible fifth-place finish in 2:16.68, while Marleigh Howes matched that result in the 15-17 Girls 200m Butterfly.
The championships concluded with the grueling 800m Freestyle Relays. The 15-17 Girls quartet of Gaby Cechini, Marleigh Howes, Jorgia White, and Katherine Wheddon battled to fourth place in 9:04.66. Meanwhile, the boys' senior team of Logan Jones, Gabe Maranzana, Noah Maranzana, and Connor Hupman combined to finish sixth in 8:25.51.
Sunday, April 05, 2026
Golden Night in Martinique as Girls Claim Medley Glory
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s swimming contingent reached the summit of the podium on a scintillating second night of finals at the XXXIX Carifta Aquatics Championships, with the senior girls' relay team delivering a golden masterclass in Martinique.
The atmosphere at the Pierre Samot Community Aquatic Centre reached fever pitch as the 15-17 Girls 400m Medley Relay team took to the blocks. In a race defined by clinical transitions and relentless pace, the quartet of Violet Smith, Teagan Mewett, Marleigh Howes, and Katherine Wheddon produced a flawless performance. Stopping the clock in 4:33.17, the Bermudian stars surged ahead of their regional rivals to secure a magnificent gold medal, marking the island's first top-step finish of the 2026 championships.
While the relay provided the golden highlight, Bermuda’s individual finalists found themselves agonizingly close to the podium in several high-caliber races. In the 13-14 Boys 200m Freestyle, Dominic Wright battled hard to secure a fourth-place finish in 2:02.42, a result mirrored by Katherine Wheddon in the 15-17 Girls equivalent as she clocked 2:12.17.
The backstroke events proved equally competitive for the Gombey Warriors. In the 13-14 Boys 100m final, Rory Shepherd led the charge with a strong fourth-place finish in 1:04.52, narrowly ahead of teammate Dominic Wright who touched the wall in fifth. Connor Hupman produced a standout individual display in the 15-17 Boys 100m Backstroke, dipping under the minute mark with a 59.29 to claim fourth, while Violet Smith secured sixth in the 15-17 Girls final.
The grueling 400m Individual Medley tested the endurance of the senior squad, where Teagan Mewett backed up her relay heroics with a fifth-place finish in 5:26.41. Gaby Cechini followed in seventh, while Joseph Lau represented the boys' side with a determined effort to place 15th overall.
The evening concluded with the 15-17 Boys 400m Medley Relay, where Axel Wernbo, Joseph Lau, Logan Jones, and Connor Hupman combined to finish seventh in 4:15.50. Despite several near-misses in the individual lanes, the gold-medal triumph of the girls' relay team ensures that Bermuda heads into the third day of competition with immense momentum and their first title of the meet safely secured.
Sunday, April 05, 2026
Bermuda Swimmers Surge into Finals on Day Two
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s aquatic stars turned up the heat at the XXXIX Carifta Aquatics Championships as a flurry of personal bests and clinical qualifying performances secured a host of finals berths on the second day of competition.
The morning session was defined by Bermuda’s dominance in the 200m Freestyle events. Dominic Wright led the charge in the 13-14 Boys category, clocking a superb 2:03.70 to qualify second-fastest for the evening showcase. He was followed by Rory Shepherd, who placed ninth in 2:08.26. In the 15-17 age group, Katherine Wheddon and Marleigh Howes both successfully navigated their heats to claim fifth and eighth seeds respectively, while Madison Fox and Colette Durkin showed impressive symmetry in the 11-12 Girls division, finishing just five-hundredths of a second apart.
The sprint specialists were equally effective in the 50m Butterfly preliminaries. Dominic Wright continued his busy morning by placing 10th in the 13-14 Boys, while Marleigh Howes narrowly missed a top-eight seed by finishing ninth in the 15-17 Girls. The 15-17 Boys field proved incredibly dense, with Logan Jones, Joseph Lau, and Gabe Maranzana all delivering strong swims in a heat separated by less than half a second.
Bermuda’s backstroke contingent signaled their intent with a series of high-ranking finishes in the 100m heats. Dominic Wright and Rory Shepherd both secured prime lanes for the 13-14 Boys final, qualifying third and fifth respectively. They were joined by Connor Hupman, who touched the wall in exactly 1:00.00 to qualify fourth in the 15-17 Boys, while Violet Smith secured fifth in the 15-17 Girls with a composed 1:09.09.
