Kione De Shong, representing the Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS), along with the Blue Marlins duo of Tayeah St. Hilaire and Saj Caesar, were in fine form at the Barbados Aquatic Sports Association (BASA) Short Course National Championships, that took place from December 5 to 10, 2023.
Leading the performances was De Shong. He struck gold in six of his races, as well as three silver and two bronze.
Competing in the Boys 9-10, De Shong also broke five of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ records in that age group: the 100m and 200m Individual Medley, the 100m Breaststroke, the 50m Breaststroke and the 50m Freestyle.
His 1:16.58 in 100 IM, bettered that of Eltonte Leonard’s 2017 record of 1:16.78.
In the 200m IM, De Shong also eclipsed the 2:51.07, also set by Leonard in 2017, as he lowered it to 2:47.61.
The 100m Breaststroke record now stands at 1:21.71, with De Shong beating his own record of 1:24.90, established earlier this year.
Additionally, De Shong clocked 36.91s in the 50m Breaststroke, erasing his mark of 37.12s, done at the OECS Time Trials in June, also of this year.
De Shong took the 50m Freestyle record from Leonard, as his 29.55s, beat the six-year mark of 29.58s.
Meanwhile, St. Hilaire, who swam in 16 races, gaining seven gold, two silver and six bronze, claimed two SVG records in the Girls 11 to 12 age division.
She broke her own 50m Freestyle record, taking it down to 28.25s to 28.16s, and did away with Mya De Freitas’ mark of 2:54.24 in the 200m Butterfly, as she timed 2:47.87. The latter record stood from 2028.
And Caesar, the youngest of the trio, won two bronze, but achieved his personal bests in the eight races he swam in the Boys 8 and Under.
However, his crowning moment was setting the new record in the 200 IM. Caesar stopped the clock at 3:37.55, erasing Ahlil Cyril’s 2018 mark of 4:29.21.