- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 01/Sep 17:21

Swimmer Liam Carrington eager to push limits

Seventeen-year-old swimming talent Liam Carrington is keen to push his limits and continue his quest for greatness after concluding his campaign at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania, on August 24. The Bolles High School student had a grand time in the pool as he lowered three national records in the boys' 15-17 category at the championships and also made it to the 100-metre backstroke final in a national record time of 54.54 seconds – eclipsing a record he held previously. Carrington placed seventh in the 100m backstroke final on August 20. His other national records at the championships came in the 50m and 200m backstroke events. Carrington narrowly missed out on the 50m backstroke final as he placed ninth overall in 25.56 seconds after lowering the previous mark by Zarek Wilson on two occasions. Meanwhile, on his last day of competitive action on August 24, Carrington placed 22nd overall in the 200m backstroke in two minutes, 04.48 seconds to erase his old record. With the level of competition he faced in Romania, Carrington is more determined than ever to leave his mark globally. "Romania was an incredible experience. I truly enjoyed every moment. From the atmosphere to the level of competition. The field was very intense, which pushed me in every race," Carrington said, via WhatsApp to Newsday earlier this week. "One of the exciting things about swimming is chasing and breaking records. Records are made to be broken and achieving them is always rewarding," he said. One of Carrington's toughest opponents in Romania would have been Ireland's John Shortt, who won both the 100m and 200m backstroke titles to go along with a bronze-medal swim in the 50m backstroke. Carrington said competing against the world's best obviously posed its challenges. However, he thinks he's now better equipped to deal with these types of environments head-on. "Being in the 100m backstroke final came with a lot of pressure. It was stressful, but also motivating to compete against such a high-caliber group. "My main focus is always on improvement. Every time I step into the pool, my aim is to drop (my) times and push my limits." In order to do this, Carrington knows he needs to be at his best at all times, even when out of competition. "Consistency and hard work in training are where the real progress happens and that's what I'm committed to." On the horizon for the Florida-based swimmer is the Florida High School Athletic Association State Championship, which will be held in November. Carrington also has his eyes set on the Winter Junior Championships, which will be held from December 10-13. On the regional scene, he will also be placing emphasis on next year's Carifta Aquatics Championships, with the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and Commonwealth Games also expected to give the youngster more opportunities to splash into his undoubted potential. At this year's Carifta Aquatics Championships, which were held in TT, Carrington broke several meet records and helped his country earn 59 medals at the regional meet. "I'm excited to keep building on what I've learned and to bring my best performance to that stage." The post Swimmer Liam Carrington eager to push limits appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.