PORT DE FRANCE, Martinique—St. Maarten’s young swimmer Azaiah Duzon delivered a commendable performance in the Boys 11–12 100 metres breaststroke at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, clocking 1:20.86 to finish fourth against a competitive regional field. He had the second-fastest reaction time (0.60), swimming out of lane 2, demonstrating a keen attitude to do well in the final, as he had won his heat a day earlier. Competing against some of the Caribbean’s best, Duzon remained within touching distance of the podium, narrowly trailing Trinidad and Tobago’s Taylan Diaz (1:20.65) in third. Barbados’ Christian Vanderpool won the event in 1:16.48, followed by Martinique’s Lucas Wato (1:19.66) in second place. The difference between the third and fourth place was 0.21 seconds (21 hundredths of a second). Duzon missed a medal position by just over two-tenths of a second, which is extremely close in swimming terms. He and his training team will be reflecting on the “what ifs” in such a close race. Despite narrowly missing out on a top-three finish, Duzon’s effort highlighted both his technical ability and his potential to challenge the region’s elite in future competitions. His performance comes amid a broader narrative of Team St. Maarten's resilience at this year’s CARIFTA Games. In the boys and girls 4x50M freestyle 15-17 relay, St. Maarten brought up the cellar position in both events. Swimming out of lane 1, the girls clocked 2:03:77, compared to the winner from Barbados, who clocked 1:48:21. The boys swam in lane 8 and clocked 1:47:31, compared to the winning team from Trinidad, who clocked 1:34:61. Just days before the team’s departure, financial uncertainty threatened to derail the delegation’s participation, with reports indicating that limited funding nearly left athletes behind. The situation cast a shadow over preparations, raising concerns about whether the team could fully represent the island on the regional stage. However, those challenges have only seemed to fuel the athletes’ determination. On the track, Nahjah Wyatte produced a historic breakthrough, capturing gold in the Boys Under-17 800 metres, marking St. Maarten’s first gold medal at these Games. Wyatte’s tactical race—where he surged to the front early and held off strong competition in the final stretch—has become a defining moment for the delegation, symbolising perseverance in the face of adversity. Together, Duzon’s strong showing in the pool and Wyatte’s golden triumph on the track underscore a unifying theme: St. Maarten’s athletes are not only competing—they are overcoming. After Duzon’s success, a release on the St. Maarten Aquatic Federation stated, “A historical swim by our very own Azaiah Duzon, placing 4th in the 100m Breaststroke (Boys 11–12) in Martinique! An incredible achievement and national record with a time of 1:20:86 in his second final at CARIFTA, showing determination, growth, and true competitive spirit. We are proud of Azaiah and the entire National Aquatics Team for representing Sint Maarten with excellence! Congratulations to our athletes, coaches, and support staff!”
