The BVI Swimming Federation placed seventh overall in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Swimming Championships which took place November 8 to 10, 2024, at the Shrewsbury Aquatic Center in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Photo: JTV Channel 55

Kyla Potter, secured a silver medal in the 11-12 Girls 50m Butterfly in a time of 32.16, just 0.5 seconds shy of the gold at the 2024 OECS Swimming Championships. Photo: JTV Channel 55

The BVI Swimming Federations’ 10 & Under mixed 200m Freestyle relay team, featuring Arun, Naya, Skyler, and William placed fifth at the 2024 OECS Swimming Championships. Photo: JTV Channel 55

The Virgin Islands was represented by Jai Potter (15-17), Kyla Potter (11-12), Arun Bissoondutt (9-10), Naya Bissoondutt (8 & Under), Skyler Steer (8 & Under), and William Vergel (8 & Under) at the compeition November 8 to 10, 2024. They were accompanied by Coach Elsworth Phillip.

Return after 8 years & 1 silver medal

This was the VI’s first OECS Swimming Championships since 2016 due to the setbacks caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017 that saw the athletic infrastructure as well as development program affected.

One noteworthy performance was by Kyla Potter, secured a silver medal in the 11-12 Girls 50m Butterfly in a time of 32.16, just 0.5 seconds shy of the gold. She also placed 4th in the 100m Butterfly, 6th in the 50m Breaststroke.

Arun Bissoondutt finished 9th in the 9-10 Boys 50m Backstroke and 100m Freestyle, Skyler Steer placed in the top 10 in multiple events for the 8 & Under Girls, including an 8th place finish in the 25m Backstroke. William Vergel placed 10th in Boys 8 & Under 25m Freestyle.

The team’s 10 & Under mixed 200m Freestyle relay, featuring Arun, Naya, Skyler, and William placed fifth.

7th overall

Team VI placed 7th overall with a total of 37 points while team Antigua and Barbuda retained its title for the third consecutive OECS Championship with 1419 points. Grenada placed second with 1301.5 points while host country St. Vincent and the Grenadines places third with 1102 points.

Coach Phillip is quoted as saying, “Our swimmers have demonstrated commendable focus and resilience. Kyla’s silver medal is a significant achievement and reflects the promising direction of our program.”