Naekeisha Louis and Ethan Hazell departed Saint Lucia over the weekend to represent the island at the 2024 World Aquatics World Swimming Championships, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, from December 10–15.
Louis will compete in the women’s 100-meter freestyle on December 14, while Hazell will participate in the men’s 50-meter butterfly on December 10 and the 50-meter freestyle on December 14.
The World Aquatics Championships, organised by World Aquatics (formerly FINA), is an international competition that features a wide range of aquatic sports, including swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. The event attracts top athletes from around the globe to compete in various disciplines. In Budapest, the sessions will be held at the renowned Duna Arena, which boasts a 25-meter competition pool.
“I expect them to do their best,” coach John McLennon shared with St. Lucia Times when asked about his hopes for the competition. “They’re on a world stage, so I hope they can represent Saint Lucia as best as they can, hopefully making the finals and achieving personal bests. Perhaps even setting a national record or two!”
Louis, now in her second stint at the World Aquatics Championships, has delivered impressive performances in regional and international competitions. At the 2024 Caribbean & Central American Swimming Championships (CCCAN) held in Mexico, she recorded a personal best of 28.15 seconds in the 50m freestyle and 38.44 seconds in the 50m breaststroke.Â
Earlier this year at the Aquatic Centre International in Barbados, she achieved a time of 29.88 seconds in the 50m butterfly. At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, she competed in the 50-meter and 100-meter butterfly events, recording times of 30.44 seconds (44th place) and 1:14.92 (42nd place), respectively. Unfortunately, she did not advance to the semifinals in those events.
For Hazell, this marks his debut at the World Championships. The young swimmer has consistently shown promise in local and regional events, including representing Saint Lucia at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships. His performance makes him a talent to watch in the future.
The coach highlighted the duo’s readiness for this high-level competition.
“Naekeisha has been training with her college club, Braves Swimming, at the University of North Carolina,” he explained. “Her coach has been working intensely with her to peak at the right time for the FINA Worlds short course. Ethan Hazell has also been training diligently with his local club, Lightning Aquatics, following a programme tailored by his coach to prepare for this championship.”
“This is the world stage, but our swimmers are mentally prepared,” McLennon added. “This is Naekeisha’s second time here, so she’s familiar with the level of competition. For Ethan, it’s his first, but he’s equally prepared. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the individual swimmer and the clock.”
The Saint Lucian team hopes for an excellent showing as they strive to make their mark on the global stage and break new ground for the island’s athletes.
