For the second time in two days, two-time Olympic swimmer Dylan Carter accomplished an Olympic qualifying time in the men’s 50 metres freestyle when the Aquatics Sports Association of T&T (ASATT) Invitational Swimming Championships concluded at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad.
Carter, who opted out of the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly, clocked a time of 21.69 seconds, a new personal best and the ninth fastest time in the world this year in the Time Trial final to go under the ‘A’ standard qualification time for the Paris Olympics 2024 of 21.96 seconds.
The next day, Carter returned to the venue and touched the wall in 21.99 seconds, which was faster than the ‘B’ Olympic qualifying time of 22.07 seconds, with USA based Aqeel Joseph, second in 23.11, a Carifta ‘A” mark.
Earlier this year, Carter became the first T&T athlete to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France when he splashed to gold in the men’s 100m freestyle event at the 2023 TYR Pro Swim Series in Ft. Lauderdale, USA in a new national record time of 48.24 seconds, erasing his own previous record, dipping below ‘A’ standard of 48.34.
Cherelle Thompson booked a potential ticket to the World Swimming Championships when she went faster than the ‘B’ qualifying time of 25.92 seconds with her time of 25.71.
Thompson previously achieved both a FINA World “B” and Commonwealth Games standards when she posted a 25.81-second effort for the 50m freestyle to win the girls’ 11 & over event at the National Aquatic Centre in Couva, Trinidad, last May.
Also sharing the spotlight with Thompson and Carter was the trio of Barbadian Amiya Harrison, Shian Griffith, and Darren Belfon who all won two gold medals.
