Young swimmers reset eight national records

Eight St Vincent and the Grenadines records were reset, when three swimmers competed from December 5-10, 2023 at the Barbados Aquatic Sports Association (BASA) Short Course National Championships.

Responsible for five of the records was Kione De Shong, who lowered the 50 m Freestyle in Boys 9 -10 age group, from 29.58 s to 29.55 s, as well as the 50 m Breaststroke, from 37.12 s to 36.91 s.

DeShong also sent the 100 m Individual Medley (IM) packing, as he timed 1:16.58, eclipsing the previous best of 1:16.78.

Likewise, De Shong upstaged the 200 m IM, as he clocked 2:47.61, to leave the 2:51.07, to go into the archives.

Also, firmly in the grasp of De Shong is the 100 m Breaststroke. He swam 1:21. 71, to beat by some distance, the six-year record of 1:24.90.

Kione De Shong

De Shong represented the Black Sands Swim Squad at that event.

The other two Vincentian participants at the BASA Championships were the Blue Marlins pair of Tayeah St Hilaire and Saj Caesar.

St Hilaire left the championships with two Girls 11-12 records to her name.

Among them was her own 50 m Freestyle record of 28.25 s, which now stands to 28.16 s, and blotted out the 200 m Butterfly record of 2:54.24 in the 200 m Butterfly, lowering it to 2:47.87.

And, Caesar left his mark on the championships as he recorded the best St Vincent and the Grenadines time in the Boys 8 and Under 200 IM , clocking 3:37.55. Before Caesar’s exploits, the record stood at 4:29.21.