Coach: Best ever TT swim team

And when the team returned home on Monday night, coach Franz Huggins, described the team as the best the country has ever produced. “From top to bottom, in years,” Huggins said.

The team was given a warm welcome by family, friends and well-wishers at the Piarco International Airport at 8 pm with a bag full of medals, plaques and other special awards which they won.

They topped the medal standing with 67 medals, consisting 31 golds, 14 silver and 22 bronze medals. The Bahamians were a distant second with 49 medals while the French-speaking island of Guadeloupe was third with 47 medals.

Huggins, a former national swimming ace explained that he was always confident that the twin-island republic were going to win the championship.

“I cannot remember seeing as strong a team from top to bottom as this one. We operated as a team and what made the win possible was the fact that all the athletes each gave a really good performance,” Huggins said.

He singled out Dylan Carter and Kimberlee John-Williams who carried the burden of the team’s victory. “They performed exceptionally well and accounted for most of the team’s points at the championship,” Huggins said. Carter, who easily could have been dubbed the local Michael Phelps by breaking a record almost anytime he got into the pool, had an amazing tally of ten medals medals, which also included two national records in the 11-12 age group.

He credits the team’s achievements to the hardwork they put in. “I was surprised that we did that well. But on the other hand we really worked hard so we deserve it,” Carter said.

Carter, in his first year at the Carifta Championship broke an amazing eight Carifta records. His record-breaking achievements included the 100 metres Freestyle in 56.11 seconds, which was held by his compatriot George Bovell III in 1999.

His other records came in the 200 Metres Individual Medley; 400M Freestyle (4:32.92); 50M Freestyle in 26:00 flat; 200M Freestyle; 50M Butterfly; 100M Backstroke and the 100M Butterfly.

Carter accounted for ten percent of the team’s total points with 82 points individually while female swim ace John-Williams received 81 points out of the team’s total.

Like Carter, John-Williams smashed the Carifta records in the 50M Backstroke and the 200M Freestyle, as well as the national record in the 200M Butterfly.

John-Williams praised each member of the team, saying they all contributed to the overall success of the team. But she was particularly happy with her two Carifta records, saying she really worked hard.