Trinidad and Tobago swimmer Zuri Ferguson broke multiple records in the women's 100-metre backstroke event at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships Short Course 2024 in Budapest, Hungary on December 10.
The Olympian finished sixth in heat four in one minute, 00.12 seconds (1:00.12). The US-based TT swimmer broke the national women's 100m backstroke record of 1:01.92 held by Ornella Walker and the 15-17 age group record of 1:03.59, previously held by Jahmia Harley.
It was a keenly contested heat as the top six swimmers were separated by a little more than a second.
The first three spots in the heat went to Xeniya Ignatova of Kazakhstan in 59.01, Fanny Teijonsalo of Finland in 59.27 and Abril Aunchayna of Uruguay and Justine Murdock of Lithuania tied for third in 59.56.
Finishing just ahead of Ferguson was Venezuelan Carla Gonzalez in 1:00.11. The later heats were faster than heat four and Ferguson missed out on a spot in the semifinals as her time was only quick enough for 35th-place overall out of 63. Only the best 16 swimmers qualified for the semifinals.
Ferguson's competition does not end there as she will compete in heat three of the women's 50m backstroke on December 12 at 4.07 am TT time.
Dylan Carter had an impressive showing in the heats of the men's 50m butterfly. Carter, who represented TT at the 2024 Paris Olympics like Ferguson, ended second in heat eight in 22.18. Nyls Korstanje of The Netherlands comfortably won the heat in 21.62 and finishing behind Carter was American Dare Rose in 22.26.
Carter had the seventh-fastest time of the semifinal qualifiers.
He just missed out on a spot in the final after touching the wall fourth in semifinal one. Carter ended in 22.16, behind Italian Michele Busa (22.08), Tzen Wei Teong of Singapore (22.04) and Korstanje (21.81).
Carter had the ninth-fastest time overall and did not qualify for the final. The former University of Southern California student will return to the pool on December 11 in the men's 100m freestyle in heat 11 at 4.48 am.
TT and University of Tennessee swimmer Nikoli Blackman will participate in heat two of the men's 200m freestyle on December 15 at 4.25 am.
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