By S.Browne. Updated 4:22 p.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) delivered a series of record-breaking performances while representing St Vincent and the Grenadines at the 2026 Sonia O’Neal Memorial Swimming Championships in Barbados, held from May 21 to 24.
The squad stated in a May 27 press release that the meet, formerly known as the Aquatic Centre Invitational (ACII), brought together swimmers from across the region and saw the Vincentian club return home with 17 medals, multiple national records, a meet record, and a seventh-place overall finish.
A 16-member squad represented the club across various age categories. The swimmers were Azalea Cox, Kione Deshong, Amelia Des Vignes, Clarence Drakes, Clarice Drakes, Kylie Dunbar, Ayarah Duncan, Anthony George, Janai George, Jonathan George, Kennice Greene, Ira Hadley, Raven Hadley, Dreden Lewis, Methuselah McLean and Sarai Williams.
The standout performer for BSSS was Kione Deshong, who dominated the Boys 13–14 category with four gold and five silver medals, earning the trophy for Second Overall Male in his age group.
Deshong also produced two new St Vincent and the Grenadines national records, lowering the 50m Freestyle from 25.73 to 25.58 seconds and breaking the 100m Freestyle record with a time of 56.56 seconds, previously held by Bryson George.
He also set a new meet record in the 50m Breaststroke, clocking 32.00 seconds to surpass the previous mark of 32.54 set by Nkosi Dunwoody in 2016.
In the younger categories, Sarai Williams impressed in the Girls 8 and Under division, securing one gold, three silver and two bronze medals, and earning the trophy for Second Overall Female in her age group.
Ira Hadley also delivered record-breaking results in the Girls 9–10 category, claiming silver in the 50m Breaststroke while setting two new national records.
Hadley lowered the 50m Breaststroke record from 44.30 to 43.33 seconds and the 200m Backstroke record from 3:25.96 to 3:23.17.
Kennice Greene added to the medal tally with bronze in the 50m Butterfly.
A key highlight for the squad was that all 16 swimmers achieved personal best performances during the championships.
Head Coach Kyle Dougan expressed his satisfaction with the team’s overall efforts and performances throughout the meet. He highlighted that Deshong’s times currently rank him among the top 1% of swimmers in his age group in the United States.
BSSS also extended congratulations to fellow Vincentian clubs Blue Marlins and H2O Lions for their participation, and thanked the St Vincent and the Grenadines Swimming Federation for its continued support of swimming development in the country.
The team was managed by Desmond Cox, with coaching duties led by Head Coach Kyle Dougan and Assistant Coach Kathleen Bute.
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