Twenty-six to represent SVG at OECS Swim Championships

St Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented by 26 swimmers; 12 females and 14 males, at the 31st staging of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States(OECS) Swim Championships .

The championships take place at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre from today Friday, November 10, to Sunday, November 12.

The female selectees are Belle Adams, Skylar Byron, Kathryn Cumberbatch, Kevern Da Silva, Abigail De Shong, Amelia De Vignes, Kennice Greene, Nua Griffith, Eltonique Leonard, Zariel Nelson, Rheema Robinson, and Tayeah St Hillaire.

Representing the males are Kenale Alleyne, Matthew Ballah, Seth Byron, Saj Caesar, Jadon Hamilton, Zane Dabriel, Hazen Dabriel, Kione De Shong, Brandon George, Eltonte Leonard, Tyler Robinson, Nikolas Sylvester, Caghry Williams and amputee-para swimmer Kentreal Kydd.

The swimmers are accompanied by coaches Kyle Dougan and Tamarah St Hillaire.

Breaking new ground, Kydd will be the first swimmer from St Vincent and the Grenadines with a physical disability to compete at the OECS championships.

Kydd will be using the championships to prepare for the Parapan American Games, later this month in Santiago, Chile.

Apart from St Vincent and the Grenadines, the other participating countries are defending champions Antigua and Barbuda, hosts St Lucia, Grenada, Martinique, Anguilla, St Maarten and St Kitts and Nevis.

When the championships were held last year also in St Lucia, the Vincentian contingent of 12 males and 12 females returned with 72 medals (17 gold, 26 silver and 29 bronze).

Twenty-three of the twenty-four swimmers were able to gain at least one medal.