By Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter
Alia Atkinson (centre) shows off her 100m breaststroke gold medal won at the CARIFTA Swim Championships yesterday. At left is Shannon Duval of Trinidad and Tobago and at right is Teisha Lightbourne of the Bahamas. Atkinson won the race in a record 1:15.25. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
JAMAICA WON the CARIFTA swim championships which ended at the National Stadium last night.
Jamaica ended with 770.5 points to finish ahead of dethroned champions Trinidad and Tobago 625, Bahamas 546, Cayman Islands 532, Antilles Guayane Francaises 374, Netherlands Antilles 355.5, Barbados 265, Suriname 165, U.S. Virgin Islands 140, St. Lucia 55, Grenada 47, Aruba 35, and St. Vincent and the Grenades.
At press time last night, Jamaica's newest swimming sensation Alia Atkinson had bagged eight gold medals. Atkinson won the 50m freestyle, 200m breaststroke, 200m Individual medley, 100m breaststroke - all in record times, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle and the 100m butterfly.
The Cayman Islands, who had not won a medal before 1996, enjoyed a dream tournament with 'superboy' Shaune Fraser demonstrating his skill, versatility, speed and class.
Last night, he was nine gold and counting, winning the 50m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 1500m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m Individual medley, and the 400m Individual medley.
Gillian Stewart gave Jamaica their first swimming medal of the day when she clocked 4:54.97 to win the bronze medal in the girls 11-12 400m freestyle. The event was won by Grenada's Tuesday Watts with Aria Vanderpool-Wallace of the Bahamas finishing in second place.
Rohan Johnson won the bronze in the male's equivalent and Rene Wright won the bronze in the girls 13-14.
Brad Hamilton won the silver in 4:29.40, behind Fraser who swam 4:12.85 to set a new CARIFTA record. Hamilton was also second to Fraser in the 50m freestyle.
Atkinson clocked 27.77 seconds to win the girls 50m freestyle.
In other events, Jamaica, finishing behind Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles won the bronze medal in the Boys water polo event and the silver in the girls.
Ashlie Gayle finished fifth in the Under 12 synchronise swimming, but Jamaica won the bronze in the team event.
Nichola Chin Shue won the bronze medal in the 13-15 age group Solo and Emily Eyre won the bronze in the 16-18 age group category.
