ATKINSON STRIKES GOLD AS TWO JAMAICAN AGE GROUP RECORDS FALL

Jamaica’s swimmers shone on the first day of Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships being held in Santo Domingo. The Jamaican’s won one Gold and two Bronze medals and lowered one CCCAN Meet and two Jamaican Age Group Records.

In the first final of the evening, Janelle Atkinson and Angela Chuck took the Gold and Bronze medals with Atkinson’s winning time of 57.58 again lowering the 18 and Over Meet Record she had set in the heats. Puerto Rican Monica Solimar placed second, swimming 58.13 and Jamaica’s Angela Chuck third. Chuck was assigned a time of 58.13 after a timing system malfunction occurred during the race.

Dominic Lee swimming in the 13-14 100 M Breaststroke, just missed the bronze medal when he was out touched by Alfonso Espinosa (Dominican Republic) for third. Lee was slow off the blocks and was in fifth position at the 50 M turn. In a strong finish, Lee touched forth in a personal best and new Jamaica 13-14 National Age Group record time of 1:10.04. The old record was 1:10.46 set by Adi Atkinson at the 2000 Caribbean Island Swimming Championships in Aruba.

In an exciting finish, Alia Atkinson took the bronze medal in the 11-12 100 M Freestyle swimming 1:02.64 and lowered the Jamaican National Age Group record for the second time in a month. With 25 Meters to go Atkinson was in fifth position but dug deep and had one of her best finishes ever to miss the gold by less than a meter. Winning the event was Puerto Rican Coral Lopez (1:01.79) ahead of the Venezuelan Nairelys Caceres (1:02.38).

Ramon James placed 6^th in the 18 and Over 100 M Freestyle in a personnel best time of 53.59. This was the first time in a while that a Jamaican had swum under 54 seconds in a while.

The competition continues on Tuesday with the preliminaries heats starting at 9:00 AM (8:00 AM Jamaica time).