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 22 to 24,2025, which saw five national records being rewritten.

Record-breaking performances were recorded in the Boys 11–12, 50m Breaststroke where Caghry Williams (33.02s) erased the 33.30 record previously held by Nicholas Sylvester. In the Boys 11–12, 50m Freestyle Matthew Ballah’s 26.36 record was reset by Kione DeShong in 26.33.

The Boys 11–12, 100m Breaststroke was also reset when Kione DeShong reset his old record of 1:13.13, with a new time of 1:11.40.

In the Boys 11–12, 200m Breaststroke, DeShong also erased his old record of 2:44.19 with a new time of 2:37.45.

Matthew Ballah also bettered his previous (27.30) record in the Boys 15–16, 50m Backstroke, setting a new time of 27.14.

Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) head coach, Kyle Dougan, in a release is said to have praised the progress of the athletes, noting that age-group swimming in St Vincent and the Grenadines is now at a world-class level. Underscoring this, he highlighted 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 18–21, 2025.