St. Vincent and the Grenadines was represented by four swimmers at the 39th Carifta Aquatics Championships, held in Martinique from April 3rd to 8th, 2026. The championships featured over 400 swimmers from 24 countries across the Caribbean region.
The SVG team, led by Coach Tamarah St. Hillaire, comprised Kione Deshong and Caghry Williams in the boys 13–14 age group, and Hazen Dabriel and Matthew Ballah in the boys 15–17 age group.
The SVG Swimming Federation (SVGSF) congratulates all four athletes, who gave their best and represented SVG with pride.
Kione Deshong became the first male swimmer from SVG to win medals in the first year of the boys 13–14 age group. He won Silver in the 200m Breaststroke and Bronze in the 100m Breaststroke, and also broke the SVG age group record in the 50m Freestyle.
Caghry Williams qualified for the finals in both the 50m Breaststroke and 100m Breaststroke, placing 6th in each event. He also set five new personal best times in the 200m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 50m Breaststroke, 100m Backstroke, and 100m Breaststroke.
Hazen Dabriel qualified for the finals in the 200m Backstroke, placing 8th. He set five personal best times and broke two national open records in the 200m Backstroke and the 200m Individual Medley. He also broke three national age group records in the boys 15–17 category in the 200m Freestyle, 200m Backstroke, and 200m Individual Medley.
Matthew Ballah competed in his final year of Carifta eligibility, having represented SVG at five consecutive Carifta Championships. He set two personal best times in the 50m Butterfly and the 200m Backstroke.
Continued Commitment
With this year’s results, SVG swimmers have now secured medals at fourteen consecutive Carifta Championships. The SVG Swimming Federation remains committed to the continued development of all its athletes and coaches, ensuring their future success.