Team Saint Lucia delivered an impressive performance at the 34th Annual Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Swimming Championships, held from November 6 to 8, 2026, at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre in Gros Islet, clinching second place. Antigua and Barbuda emerged as the champions, concluding the three-day event with a Prize Giving and Awards ceremony on Sunday.
The host team, Saint Lucia, proudly finished behind the winners, while Grenada secured third place.
Overall Standings and Team Points:
- Antigua & Barbuda – 1,407 points (51 gold, 54 silver, 3 bronze)
- Saint Lucia – 1,272 points (44 gold, 24 silver, 33 bronze)
- Grenada – 930 points
- Sint Maarten – 229 points
The Saint Lucia Aquatics Federation (SLAF) congratulated the top three teams and all other participating teams, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten, and St. Kitts and Nevis. The event showcased a friendly atmosphere filled with intense competition, as family and fans passionately supported the athletes.
Host organizers praised the event, stating, “Three days of incredible performances, determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship! A special congratulations to Team Saint Lucia for securing second place on home soil!”
Notably, Team Saint Lucia swimmers accomplished record-breaking performances, including:
– Sapphire Parks: – Girls 11-12, 100m Breaststroke: 1:17.53
– Girls 11-12, 100m Backstroke: 1:09.11
– Tyler Dantes: Boys 11-12, 100m Backstroke: 1:04.20
– Henri-Christian Theobalds: Boys 13-14, 100m Breaststroke: 1:07.10
In the junior category, Miles Andrew dominated the Boys 9-10 category, while his sister, Maya Andrew, triumphed over Sapphire Parks to win the Girls 11-12, 50m Breaststroke.
Team Performance: Antigua and Barbuda showcased their depth with 51 gold, 54 silver, and 3 bronze medals, while Saint Lucia recorded 44 gold, 24 silver, and 33 bronze. Despite this, Saint Lucia boasted four of the five top swimmers at the meet.
Top Performers:
– Antoine Destang, a freshman at the University of Michigan, swept all 11 of his events in the boys 15-17 category, amassing 99 points and setting five OECS records.
– Sapphire Parks, overcoming an ankle injury, led the girls 11-12 age group with 95 points and achieved six new meet records.
– Tyler Dantes anchored the boys 11-12 division, scoring 91 points with eight gold medals, including six new records.
– Miles Andrew swept all eight of his races, earning 72 points in the boys’ title, while Zoe Fortune contributed 42 points to place third overall for girls in the same age group.
With the absence of key athletes such as Tristan Dorville and Youth Olympics swimmers Noah Dorville and Fayth Jeffrey, sports pundits feel that the final outcome could have differed for the home team.
