The outstanding performance of Jamaica’s national swim team at the recently concluded 2025 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships in Trinidad and Tobago is being hailed as a signal that the country is back to its best in regional swimming.

The athletes secured an impressive 56 medals – 21 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze, marking a notable increase from last year’s 45 medals, and finishing second overall in the points standings with 795.5 points. The Bahamas finished first with 979 points.

Team manager Georgia Sinclair described the performance as “absolutely breathtaking”.

“Jamaica is back,” she said, echoing the words of Maureen Croes, president of Panama Aquatics.

“We were once the team to beat and this year’s performance proves we’re on our way there again,” she told JIS News.

She commended the young swimmers for their grit and determination.

“These young athletes gave it their all, left everything in the pool as they pursued their various goals. They performed beyond expectations, even though I expected them to finish in the top three,” she said.

The team manager highlighted the strength of the relay teams, noting that Jamaica medalled in five of the six relay events on the final night, winning four of them.

“That speaks volumes… From day one, people were saying, ‘Whoa, is this Jamaica?’ People were surprised, but we were not. We knew this was a special team,” she noted.

Benjamin Davis, who competed in the 15-17 boys’ category, acknowledged the contributions of all his teammates for driving Jamaica’s overall success, stating that, “Going into the meet, people wouldn’t have expected Jamaica to medal in as many relays as we did”.

“For example, in the boys’ 15-17 relays that I was in, we medalled in every single one, which was definitely not expected. That’s what pushed us to second place [overall],” he continued.

Benjamin achieved personal bests in three of his four races – the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, and 100m freestyle.

He described the atmosphere within the team as electric. “Everybody was just gelling. Everybody was swimming fast and having fun. It was a good team, a good vibe,” he mused.

In the 11-12 category, Emanuelle Spence also won three relay medals (two gold and one silver) and a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke.

She told JIS News that the experience was “very exciting” and said she felt “very proud” to stand on the podium for Jamaica. “The moment I’ll always remember is standing on the podium and listening to the National Anthem of Jamaica,” she shared.

The swimmers’ success was the result of weeks of intense preparation. Athletes received daily physiotherapy and massages during the competition to aid in recovery. The team also featured swimmers based overseas, and Sinclair commended the coaching staff and support team for ensuring the athletes were both physically and mentally prepared.

“The coaches played an integral role in inspiring and motivating the athletes. Our mantra was, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,’” Spence asserted.

“Even the most experienced athletes feel nervous behind the blocks, but we made them believe they could do it,” she noted.

The championships also featured several standout individual performances.

Overseas-based swimmer Skyelar Richards earned the High Point Trophy for the girls’ 13-14 age group, and Nolan Barrett claimed the High Point Trophy for the boys in the same age group.

As Jamaica prepares for upcoming competitions such as the Panama Aquatics Championships in May, Sinclair noted that expectations should be tempered due to a smaller team and the timing of the event during the school examination period.

However, she remains confident in the potential of Jamaica’s swimmers.