FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD swimmer Liam Carrington is making waves in the junior division.
In 2023, he broke six national junior records and captured an array of gold, silver and bronze medals at various national and regional meets.
At the National Age Group Short-Course Championships in July, Carrington set a new national record en route to gold in the 800m freestyle. He clocked 8:40.62, breaking a record previously set by rising sensation Nikoli Blackman (8:46.02) in 2019.
At the Central American and Caribbean Swimmer Federation (CCCAN) tournament in El Salvador in August, he won six gold, one silver and three bronze on his way to setting a meet record and three TT records along the way.
In the boys’13-14 200m backstroke (long course), he reset to 2:07.07 the CCCAN and national records, previously held by Timothy Wynter (2:09.55) and Dylan Carter (2:10.36) respectively. Both previous records were set in 2011.
There, he also swam into national record books in the 50m back (26.98s) and 400m individual medley (4:42.35). The 400IM record had been held by Olympic medallist George Bovell III (4:44.70) since 1998.
In early November, Carrington shattered another one: Carter’s boys’ 13-14 national record in the 100m back. In a fourth-place finish at the Florida High School Swimming and Diving State Championships, he touched the wall in 57.60s, which erased Carter’s mark of 58.70s.
And to round off a successful 2023, Carrington set a new national mark in his age group’s 100m free. Swimming at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships in Ohio in December, he clocked a speedy 51.99s.
Additionally, at the Carifta Swim Champs in April, he set one meet and national record (50m back time of 27.34s, which was reset at CCCAN) en route to ten gold, five silver medals and first place in 5k open water.
[caption id="attachment_1056018" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this June 4 photo, Liam Carrington competes in the M13-14 4X200mm relay at the Pan American age group swimming championship at the National Aquatics centre, Couva. - File photo by Lincoln Holder[/caption]
Looking back on his achievements, he was pleased, and said he finds inspiration to do his best from within.
“Last year was quite an eventful one for me. I came out healthy, which is always a plus, with more knowledge and experience. My genuine passion for the art of swimming really fuels me. My drive to keep focused and the results come from being consistent and motivated throughout all aspects of my training.”
His pet events are 100m free, 50m, 100m and 200m back, 200 IM and 400m IM.
Carrington attends the Bolles High School in Jacksonville, Florida, and trains under Peter Verhoef and Jake Gibbons. He is a sophomore there. Domestically, he’s a member of Marlins Swim Club under coaches Joseph McLeod and Maurice Faria.
He attended Presentation College San Fernando, but left at the start of the new academic year in September 2023 to study and further his craft in the US.
Carrington returns to the pool for the first time this season at the TYR Pro Swim
