Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
ATKINSON
MELBOURNE, Australia:
TEENAGE SWIMMER Alia Atkinson bowed out of competition at the XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by reaching her second semi-final.
The 17-year-old American-based Atkinson swam 1:15.16 in the qualifiers of the women's 100 metres breaststroke to reach the last 16 with the 14th best time. Later in the semi-finals Atkinson placed sixth in 1:13.56 and did not advance to today's final.
On Thursday's opening day of competition at the Games, Atkinson broke the national record twice on her way to a semi-final spot in the women's 50m breaststroke.
Earlier 16-year-old Brad Hamilton lowered the National Age Group 15-17 100m Butterfly record, swimming 58.21 for seventh in heat two of the qualifiers at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.
The previous record of 58.58 was set by Ramon James at the 2000 Caribbean Island Swimming Championships in Aruba.
In the women's 50m freestyle heat four, Atkinson was seventh in 28.04 and Tamara Swaby eighth in 28.14 for an overall ranking of 23rd and 24th (of 45) respectively.
ROUGHED UP
Jamaica's light heavyweight Omar Gavin was severely roughed up by Australia's Benjamin McEachran forcing the referee to stop the fight after 1:38 seconds of the first round of his light heavyweight contest at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. The Australian led 20-1 on points when the end came as Gavin seemed unable to defend himself.
Shooters David Rickman and Dennis Nelson placed 13th in the men's open full bore pairs event. Rickman tallied 283.20 and Nelson 290.26 for an overall 573.46. Gold medal winners England scored 594.87.
Two Jamaican women, Marlene West and Karen Anderson, will meet today in the squash plate singles final. Anderson won the silver plate in the event four years ago in Manchester.
The netballers will be back in action today after yesterday's rest day.
In matches played yesterday Australia beat Barbados 70-27, South Africa whipped St. Vincent 80-34, New Zealand overwhelmed Fiji 80-26 and Samoa beat Wales 49-42.
Iona Wynter was eighth in the women's cycling individual pursuit. Australia took the top two spots with Katie Mactier winning from Katherin Bates.
