It took a special performance and a special amount of speed to accomplish something special for Trinidad and Tobago. Dylan Carter swept the 50s all three stops of the 2022 FINA World Cup to claim the overall championship on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Carter scored 172.6 points on the three stops, edging USA’s Nic Fink (172.3) for the title.
It was a huge moment for Carter in what he calls his “second career” as a 50 specialist. But an even more special moment for Trinidad and Tobago.
“I am so happy, I am over the moon. The pressure really started to mount this weekend, but I really felt like I could do it,” Carter said. “I think it is massive for Trinidad and Tobago. The Olympics and World Championships is about who is best on that day, but the World Cup is about who is better for an extended period of time. It is really a phenomenal feat of not just fast swimming, but endurance. It is a big step for our sport in the Caribbean.”
Carter won the 50 butterfly to complete a sweep of that event in World Cup action. Carter produced a time of 21.99 to hold off Chad le Clos (22.27). Carter’s sweep of the 50 fly complemented previous sprint sweeps in the 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke, giving the Trinidad & Tobago native a 9-for-9 run in the World Cup.
“It is a massive step for me. I have always felt like I have had massive potential, but there was always something missing,” Dylan Carter said. “I came home after this summer and went to my local gym. The amount of people who asked me if I was going to retire — I swam good times but people thought I was done, that I was never going to break through. That really drove me and that is part of the results you see here.”
So it was on to his second career.
“I have always swam up to 200, but I always wanted to have a bit of a second career, which is the 50s. I always had a good 50 fly. It was always good for a 200 guy. I wanted to put it together and see what I could do. Training in Trinidad. I am training on my own a lot,” Dylan Carter said. “It’s fun. It is a lot more fun than training for the 200. Swimming in a way that is sustainable and when you are happy, that is when you can see your career in front of you.”
FINA World Cup Men’s Final Top 10
1 Dylan Carter, Trinidad and Tobago, 172.6
2 Nic Fink, USA, 172.3
3 Chad le Clos, South Africa, 166.3
4 Shaine Casas, USA, 164.9
5 Matthew Sates, South Africa, 154.1
6 Kyle Chalmers, Australia, 152.1
7 Thomas Ceccon, Italy, 144.8
8 Danas Rapsys, Lithuania, 137.1
9 Kiran Smith, USA, 134.1
10 Javier Acevedo, Canada, 133.9