The Aruba Aquatics Federation (AAF) established a strong presence during the recently concluded Carifta 2026 Championships, where Aruba’s national team competed against the best talents from 17 Caribbean countries and islands. With a delegation of 19 athletes, our island once again demonstrated why swimming is a high-level sporting benchmark for Aruba.
For more than two decades, Aruba has maintained a tradition of excellence in this international event. This year’s edition was no exception, facing an extremely high quality of competition in the same pool that has previously produced Olympic medalists and youth world champions.
Performance by Category The team, under the technical direction of Ismael Santiesteban and Jordi Grote, was divided into three main categories:
- 11-12 years: The foundation of our sport was represented by 5 girls and one boy. They stood out for their great progress in improving their personal times and reaching several finals, which is fundamental for their development in the sport.
- 13-14 years: This category carried the weight of the medal count. In the girls’ division, Jayla Stuut conquered bronze in the 50m butterfly. Additionally, the 4x100m freestyle relay team (Jayla, Alisha, Tilayla, and Chloe) obtained the silver medal. In the boys’ division, Jayten Winterdaal stood out with two bronze medals (400m and 200m freestyle) and one silver (100m freestyle), while Leandro Santiesteban took home two silvers (50m and 100m breaststroke) and one bronze (200m breaststroke).
- 15-17 years: Athletes Mika, Gabriela, Luis Mario, and Ayden showed great resilience by reaching finals and lowering their personal marks. Special mention goes to Matthews, who demonstrated exceptional strength by achieving a silver medal in the 5km open water competition after having already competed in the pool.
A Historic Achievement in Relay One of the most impactful moments for the Aruban delegation was in the boys’ 13-14 category. After winning silver in the 4x100m freestyle, the same team made history by achieving the gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay—a result that positions Aruba at the peak of this discipline in the region.
Discipline and the Road to Colombia Ismael Santiesteban highlighted the physical and mental effort displayed by these athletes: “These kids wake up at 6:00 AM; they swim, have lunch, rest for an hour and a half, and must return to the pool. It was four very intense days that shape them not only as athletes but for life in general.”
The success at Carifta serves as the perfect platform for the next big challenge. The Aruba team is already preparing for the Pan American Age Group Games, which will take place in Ibagué, Colombia, from July 8 to 12. With this level of discipline and the recently obtained results, expectations for the Aruban delegation remain high
