Barbados surged to a total of 32 medals at the 2025 CARIFTA Aquatic Championships after collecting 11 more on Day 4 at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago.
In the penultimate race last night, the Girls’ 15-17 4×200 metre freestyle relay squad, which comprised Toria Alleyne, Jaiya Simmons, Isabella Mayers, and Heidi Stoute, clocked 8:52.18 to win gold.
Headlining the medal haul today was Heidi Stoute, who captured gold in the Girls’ 15-17 400 metre freestyle with a commanding time of 4 minutes 29.10 seconds. Stoute, who also anchored the 200m freestyle relay team to silver, capped off a brilliant day in the pool with a bronze in the 50 metre freestyle in 26.48 seconds.
Also on the podium were:
● Mihael Sobers, who clocked 2:21.13 to claim silver in the Boys’ 13-14 200m backstroke.
● Theo Narain, who touched in 2:31.86 for silver in the Boys’ 11-12 200m backstroke.
● The Girls’ 15-17 200m freestyle relay team—Jaiya Simmons, Toria Alleyne, Ayoka Martin, and Heidi Stoute—added another silver in 1:49.61.
● The Girls’ 11-12 200m freestyle relay quartet of Taija Hall, Jayla-Marie Blunte, Gabriella Babb, and Kaija Eastmond brought home bronze in 1:59.85.
● Kaija Eastmond also picked up an individual bronze in the 50m freestyle (28.42).
● Joshua Ross earned bronze in the Boys’ 15-17 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:06.55.
● Zachary Ladipo joined his teammate Theo on the podium with bronze in the Boys’ 11-12 200m backstroke, stopping the clock at 2:33.65.
● Gabriella Babb collected another bronze in the Girls’ 11-12 400m freestyle (5:02.31).
● Mihael Sobers returned to medal with a bronze in the Boys’ 13-17 800m freestyle, finishing in 9:14.88.
Several Barbadian swimmers delivered commendable performances despite narrowly missing the podium. Gabriella Babb was fourth in the Girls’ 11-12 200m backstroke with 2:42.22, while Allysa Rocheford finished sixth in the Girls’ 15-17 100m breaststroke (1:21.61).
In relay action, the Boys’ 11-12 200m freestyle team of Amir Gittens, Theo Narain, Keniel Ledgister II, and Zachary Ladipo came fourth in 1:57.36. The Girls’ 13-14 relay team—Jada Pounder, Naomi Als, Saniya Minnis, and Amiya Harrison—were fifth (1:57.47), and the Boys’ 13-14 team of Mihael Sobers, Cassius Narain, Zachary Burke, and Matthew Briggs-Legall placed seventh (1:48.96).
In individual events, Zachary Burke (8th, Boys’ 13-14 100m breaststroke, 1:15.05) and Amir Gittens (7th, Boys’ 11-12 400m freestyle, 4:59.62) rounded out the Barbadian competitors on Day 4. (JC)
