Five National Records Fall at SVG Swimming Time Trials
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Swimming Federation successfully hosted a three-day swimming time trial from August 22nd to 24th, which saw five national records rewritten by the country’s rising stars.
Record-Breaking Performances:
Boys 11–12, 50m Breaststroke:
Previous record – Nicholas Sylvester (33.30)
New record – Caghry Williams (33.02)
Boys 11–12, 50m Freestyle:
Previous record – Matthew Ballah (26.36)
New record – Kione DeShong (26.33)
Boys 11–12, 100m Breaststroke:
Previous record – Kione DeShong (1:13.13)
New record – Kione DeShong (1:11.40)
Boys 11–12, 200m Breaststroke:
Previous record – Kione DeShong (2:44.19)
New record – Kione DeShong (2:37.45)
Boys 15–16, 50m Backstroke:
Previous record – Matthew Ballah (27.30)
New record – Matthew Ballah (27.14)
Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) head coach Kyle Dougan praised the athletes’ progress, noting that age-group swimming in St Vincent and the Grenadines is now at a world-class level.
He emphasized this by highlighting Kione DeShong’s 100m breaststroke performance, which would currently place him at the top of the rankings in Great Britain for his age group—faster than the current number one, Harry Connor, whose best time stands at 1:12.27, almost a full second slower than DeShong’s swim.
The swimmers now turn their focus to the upcoming National Championships, scheduled for September 18th–21st.
