The 39th edition of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, hosted this year in Martinique, has delivered a landmark moment for Antigua and Barbuda’s swimming program, as teen athletes Madison MacMillan and Ellie Shaw secured the island nation’s first medals of the regional competition, both taking home silver on the event’s opening Sunday.
MacMillan claimed her second-place finish in the Girls 15–17 age group 800-meter freestyle with a final time of 9 minutes and 32 seconds. Shortly after, Shaw matched her teammate’s silver medal performance in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, clocking in at 2 minutes and 43 seconds to round out the historic medal haul for the national delegation.
Beyond the two medal wins, Antigua and Barbuda’s 14-member national team turned in an impressive overall performance across the opening day of competition. Seven of the team’s swimmers advanced through preliminary heats to qualify for their respective event finals, and a number of competitors also posted new personal best times across the slate of races on day one.
Shortly after the conclusion of Sunday’s races, Daryll Matthew, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Sports, released an official statement congratulating the team on their breakthrough performance at the regional event. “On behalf of the Ministry of Sports, I congratulate Team Antigua and Barbuda on an excellent showing on Day 1 at the 39th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships,” Matthew said.
The sports minister emphasized that qualifying seven swimmers for finals represents a meaningful milestone for the country’s competitive aquatics program, calling the early achievement “remarkable”. In addition to honoring MacMillan and Shaw, Matthew also recognized fellow competitor Anya DeGannes for her gold medal win and new age-group record at the competition, adding that “The nation is proud of you all.”
The strong opening-day results set a positive foundation for Team Antigua and Barbuda as the regional championships continue through the coming days of competition, with the country’s young swimmers already marking a historic achievement for their nation early in the event.