Four Vincentian swimmers represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the 39th CARIFTA Aquatics Championships in Martinique from April 3 to 8.
Kione Deshong and Caghry Williams swam in the first year of the boys 13-to-14 age group, while Hazen Dabriel and Matthew Ballah swam in the boys 15-to-7 age group.
Deshong becomes our first male swimmer to win medals in the first year of the boys’ age 13 to 14 group.
He won a silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke and bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke.
Deshong also broke the SVG age-group record in the 50-metre freestyle.
Williams qualified for the finals in the 50-metre breaststroke and 100-metre breaststroke events and placed 6th in both events.
He also set 5 new personal best times in the 200 breaststroke, 50 fly and breaststroke, and 100 backstroke.
Dabriel qualified for the finals in the 200-metre backstroke, where he placed 8th.
He set 5 personal best times and broke two national open records in the 200 backstroke and the 200-metre individual medley.
Dabriel also broke three national age-group records in the boys 15 to 17 age group in the 200 freestyle, the 200-metre backstroke and the 200 individual medley.
Ballah swam in his last year of eligibility for CARIFTA and set two personal best times in the 50-metre fly and the 200-metre backstroke.
He has represented SVG at five consecutive CARIFTA championships.
Coach Tamarah St. Hillaire led the team.
“SVG swimmers have secured medals for 14 consecutive CARIFTA Championships. The SVG Swimming Federation remains committed to the continued development of all our athletes and coaches, ensuring their future success,” a press release said.
Over 400 swimmers from 24 countries in the Caribbean region participated.
