The Cayman Islands aquatics community has embarked on a busy sporting season, beginning with national team trials in water polo plus a series of swimming competitions in the sea and pool.
Water polo players return to CARIFTA
Up first on the agenda were trials for the Cayman Aquatics Water Polo Representative Team, as players competed for selection to Cayman’s squad bound for the upcoming CARIFTA Water Polo Invitational.
The tournament, taking place 6-8 Nov. at the Rosen Aquatic Centre in Orlando, Florida, offers young local players in the fast-growing sport an opportunity to test their skills against teams from across the Caribbean region, as well as select clubs from the United States.
At last year’s CARIFTA Championships, Cayman’s debutant team captured a medal in every age division entered. Following this year’s trials, a 12-strong team of athletes was selected from Cayman Aqualife Academy and Active Water Polo, including Freya Cave, Amelia Schreiner, Rosie Bowden, Emily Corbin, Mila Vidas, Adriana Bowerman, Gabriela Bowerman, Marisa Miller, Elizabeth Wade, Bruna Gianesi Diegues, Anya Morris and Sierra Bergman.
The action can be followed live next week with a US$25 all access pass on the Game on Live Studio network. The CARIFTA Invitational is set to be followed by the CARIFTA Water Polo Championships in Trinidad and Tobago from 31 March to 3 April next year.
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Open water action
In the ocean, meanwhile, Cayman’s swimmers have taken part in the first open-water competitions of the season.
First, Fraser Properties hosted the latest edition of its 4×400 metre Open Water Relays event, with 22 teams competing across a range of age groups, from 12 and under to 40 and over, on 25 Sept.
Charging through the finish line in the overall top spot was the 15-17 age group team of Jahmai Mcleod, Adam Sellars, Elijah Bain – returning to on-island competition after making his senior international debut at this summer’s Commonwealth Games – and Lennox Turnham-Wheatley.
They clocked in with a total time of 27 minutes and 16 seconds for the race, which saw the relay teams’ four competitors complete a 400-metre leg each.
The title in the 12-and-under age group went to Victoria Bain, Arty Clark, Zachary De Wit and Fiona Martin of Stingray Stingers, while the 40-and-over category win went to Stingray Turbos: Kyril Marinov and Peter De Wit alongside Active Water Polo head coach Luke Manthe and Stingray Swim Club alumnus-turned-head coach John Bodden.
Awards were presented by Cayman Islands Olympian Brett Fraser and his father, Jim Fraser, with both men also taking part in the event’s family team category.
Full results for the 2026 Fraser Properties Open Water Relays can be found here.
A little under a month later, 82 swimmers hit the waters off at Governors Beach to partake in the 42nd Annual Foster’s 400-metre and 800-metre sea swim event.
Finishing first was 16-year-old Turnham-Wheatley, who completed the 800-metre distance in 10:16.64, followed by former relay teammate Sellars (10:34.33). Calvin Hitt took third place overall in 10:37.45, with his own relay partner Kate Galatopoulos – one of two swimmers selected to represent Cayman at the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games in Senegal – clinching the women’s division title in 10:58.17.
Next up on Cayman Aquatics’ open water schedule is the Harbour ½ Mile (800-metre) Sea Swim for Pirates Week, taking place 9 Nov. in Hog Sty Bay, followed by the triple-distance Pirates Week event featuring one-, three-and five-kilometre races on 14 Nov. at Governors Beach.
That will draw the open water races to a close for 2026, before the ocean action returns to Governor’s Beach for the 38th Annual CUC 400-metre and 800 metre Sea Swim on 9 Jan. The focus then shifts to the Sister Islands on 6 March, for the Cayman Brac 800-metre Sea Swim.
Fall kick off kickstarts busy swim season
Swimmers have been busy in the pool, too, beginning their season with the CBAC Fall Kick Off, hosted by Camana Bay Aquatic Club at the Camana Bay Sports Complex on 3-4 Oct.
The meet offered swimmers the chance to establish benchmark times for the season ahead as they returned to competitive racing across a range of distances – from 25 meters for the youngest athletes to 1500 meters for distance specialists – following the summer break.
Full results for the CBAC Fall Kick Off can be found here.
Up next is the Mike Lockwood Memorial meet, held 30 Oct. to 1 Nov. at the Lions Pool, before attention turns back to the Camana Bay Sports Complex pool for the Coconut Cup on 27-29 Nov.
A handful of the country’s top swimmers will then head to Beijing, China, for the World Aquatics Short Course Swimming Championships on 1-6 Dec.
In the new year, Cayman Aquatics will hold its annual National Swimming Championships at the Camana Bay pool on 22-25 Jan., with that meet typically serving as the main selection event for the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, set to be held on 26-30 March in Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago will also host the CARIFTA Artistic Championships on 25-31 March, the CARIFTA Open Water Championships on 30-31 March, and the CARIFTA Water Polo Championships.