A few weeks ago Sam Williamson was swimming in a sea of disappointment after being left out of the Central American and Caribbean Games squad — and with Commonwealth Games qualification seemingly out of reach.

Fast forward to last Friday at the National Sports Centre and Williamson touched the wall after the 200 metres individual medley in a time that not only secured his place in Glasgow but reclaimed the national record he had briefly surrendered to Elijah Daley.

In the space of roughly three weeks, Williamson had gone from having nothing to look forward to this summer to competing in two major events.

“When you say that out loud, it is kind of crazy,” Williamson said.

“Everything’s just starting to come together quite nicely now and I’m starting to prove to people not to write me off just yet.

“After we last spoke, I wasn’t included for CAC Games and there was a little bit of me that was trying to chase that Commonwealth time so I could get a competition this summer and prove everybody wrong by deserving to go to these meets. That little bit of motivation helped me. That letdown fuelled a little bit of anger and motivation to get up to that even harder qualifying standard.”

Williamson had gone into Friday's swim knowing it was his last realistic opportunity with the Commonwealth Games deadline closing the next day. After finishing his race he had no immediate way of realising his achievement, with the big screen that usually displays the timings not functioning.

“During the swim, I obviously had no idea what the time was but it felt a lot harder than I thought it should,” he said.

“When I touched the wall, I really was not sure if I had gotten the time or not. I had no idea I’d qualified until literally a couple of minutes after.

“I asked the timekeepers behind me and they didn’t really give me an answer because their timing is unofficial, so I was waiting for whoever was working at the computer and then whoever was on the announcing table announced it.

“Then everyone started screaming a little bit more, which was good news.”

Making the moment richer still was that Williamson’s performance wrestled back the 200 metres individual medley national record, which had been taken by Daley just two weeks earlier.

Williamson had held a share of the record since 2024 with Stephen Fahy, who happened to be in attendance last Friday. Daley had usurped those two with a time of 2min 6.68sec but the record is now Williamson’s sole possession after he stopped the clock in 2:06.59.

“That was my first personal best in that race in over two years, and it just happened to be a national record,” Williamson said.

“It feels great and it’s obviously very nice to say that you have the national record but Elijah’s right there and we’re both going to be pushing each other throughout the summer to try and lower that record even further. At the end of the day, it’s very good to have my name back on the record sheet.”

Williamson is also conscious of what the achievement represents for Bermudian swimming more broadly.

While most of his team-mates heading to the Commonwealth Games and CAC Games have spent significant time training abroad in professional environments, Williamson has done this from home and thinks that should be taken as a positive sign for the next generation.

“That’s something to say to whoever is in swimming and growing up through the sport now, is that you don’t have to go away,” he said.

“It is possible to achieve big things here. The facilities could be better but it is possible and I am proof that it is possible. With a lot of hard work and if you do the right things and you have the right support group around you, it is truly possible.

“It probably is a little bit tougher for people to do it here, but if you have the right mindset you can do anything.”

As for the summer, Williamson’s schedule now looks action-packed with the opportunity now existing for him to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow before flying to the Dominican Republic to take part in the CAC Games just four days later.

“The timing has worked out perfectly,” Williamson said.

“The 200 IM is on the first day of Commonwealth Games, so I’m just going to go and swim that. Then I’ve got four days before CAC Games starts, so I’m going to go for the one race in Glasgow and then go to CAC Games and swim my full schedule

“On the BASA [Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association] website, it says that you can only swim the event that you qualify in, which was my 200 IM, but I’ve been informed that I can swim whatever I like to swim and my other events at CAC fall way later in the programme.

“After a rough period, everything’s just come together at just the right, perfect time.”