The British Virgin Islands celebrated a triumphant return to the OECS Swimming Championships as debutant Kyla Potter secured the team’s sole medal in a thrilling performance on Sunday.
Competing in the 11-12 Girls 50-meter Butterfly, Potter took the silver with a time of 32.16 seconds, narrowly missing the gold by just 0.05 seconds in a closely contested race. Her medal marks an impressive debut and stands as a proud achievement for the BVI’s return to the competition after an eight-year hiatus.
The championships, held in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, were the BVI’s first appearance since 2016, and the team comprised six young athletes, each showing remarkable promise in their debut performances. Alongside Kyla, athletes Arun Bissoondutt, Jai Potter, Nya Bissoondutt, Skyler Steer, and William Vergel represented the territory, showcasing the depth of talent within the Virgin Islands’ swimming community, despite the lack of a proper swimming facility since the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The championships were won by Antigua and Barbuda for third consecutive year with 1419 points, while Grenada placed second overall and St. Vincent and the Grenadines third.