By Admin. Updated 7:02 p.m., Thursday, April 9, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Kione Deshong won a Silver medal in the 200 meter Breaststroke and a Bronze medal in the 100 meter Breaststroke in the 39th Carifta Aquatics Championships was hosted in Martinique from April 3rd to 8th, 2026.
A press release from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Swimming Federation (SVGSF) said DeShong also broke the SVG age group record in the 50 meter Freestyle.
He becomes the SVGSF’s first male swimmer to win medals in the first year of the boys age 13 to 14 group.
It is not the first-time Mr DeShong secured medals at the CARIFTA Aquatic Championships. In 2025, at the 38th Carifta Aquatics Championships in Trinidad and Tobago, Kione Deshong secured Gold in the boys 11-12 years 100m Breaststroke. He had also secured a Bronze medal at the 37th CARIFTA Aquatic Championships held in the Bahamas in 2024.
Team St. Vincent and the Grenadines was comprised of 4 swimmers. Kione Deshong and Caghry Williams swam in the first year of the boys 13 to 14 age group. Hazen Dabriel and Matthew Ballah swam in the boys 15 to 17 age group. The team was led by Coach Tamarah St. Hillaire, the press release from the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Swimming Federation (SVGSF) said.
The SVG Swimming Federation (SVGSF) said it congratulates the four athletes from SVG “who all did their best and represented SVG with pride.”
It said Caghry Williams qualified for the finals in the 50 meter Breaststroke and 100 meter Breaststroke events and placed 6th in both events. He also set five (5) new personal best times in the 200 Breaststroke, 50 Fly and Breaststroke,100 Backstroke and Breaststroke. Last year, Caghry Williams struck sliver.
“Hazen Dabriel qualified for the finals in the 200 meter Backstroke where he placed 8th. He set 5 personal best timesand broke two national open records in the 200 Backstroke and the 200 meter Individual Medley. Hazen also broke three national age group records in the boys 15 to 17 age group in the 200 Freestyle, the 200 Backstroke and the 200Individual Medley,” the release stated.
The organization said Matthew Ballah swam in his last year of eligibility for Carifta and set two personal best times in the 50 meter Fly and the 200 meter Backstroke. He has represented SVG at five (5) consecutive Carifta championships.
The 39th Carifta Aquatics Championships hosted in Martinique from April 3rd to 8th, 2026, brought together over 400 swimmers from 24 countries in the Caribbean region participating. These regional swimmers are some of the best age group swimmers in the world, the press release stated.
The SVG Swimming Federation said SVG swimmers have secured medals for fourteen consecutive CARIFTA Championships, adding that the organization “remains committed to the continued development of all our athletes and coaches, ensuring their future success.”
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