THE NATIONAL SWIM TEAM DEPARTS FOR MEXICO AND THE CCCAN 2003

June 28, 2003…Jamaica’s National Swim Team today departed the island for Mexico City where they will compete in the 2003 Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships (CCCAN). The 21 member team comprises five (5) female swimmers, including Synchronized Swimmers Nicole ChinShue and Rebecca Wong and nine (9) male swimmers.

Accompanying the team is National Swim Coach Jackie Walter and National Development Coach Orlando Estrada, who left the island yesterday. Coach Katherine Lim Sang is acting as Manager and Coach of the Synchronized Swimming Team. Angela McIntosh once again is the team physiotherapist while Maureen Williams will lead the team as Chef de Mission. Jamaica’s top senior swimmers, Janelle Atkinson, Alia Atkinson, Tamara Swaby, Angela Chuck and Timothy Wong will not travel to compete at the CCCAN as they are continuing their preparation for the Pan American Games in August.

The fourteen swimmers are on a high after Jamaica’s incredible performance at the recent CARIFTA Swimming Championships and are expected to continue the teams recent run of improved performances in international competition. Three swimmers, Raine Paulson-Andrews, Abiona Redwood and Dominic Lee are hoping to qualify for the Pan American Games, despite the performance reducing effects of Mexico City’s high altitude.

For financial reasons, Jamaica was unable to send a Water Polo team to compete at the CCCAN, however the Amateur Swimming Association (ASAJ) did send Coach Laszlo Borbely, one of Jamaica’s National Water Polo Coaches to observe the competition. Jamaica has not competed at the level of CCCAN for many years and the ASAJ felt that it would assist the speed up the recent revitalization of local water polo if the latest techniques and game strategies were observed. Jamaica competed internationally for the first time in over 8 years at the CARIFTA Swimming Championship held earlier this year.

The CCCAN competition will dive into action on Monday, June 30 and end on July 5 and the team will return to the island on July 7.

The teams:

SWIMMING:

1. GILLIAN STEWART

2. RAINE PAULSON- ANDREWS

3. ABIONA REDWOOD

4. ALFORD GREEN

5. MATTHEW HILTON

6. ROHAN JOHNSON

7. BRAD HAMILTON

8. TRAVIS FORTE

9. TODD JOHNSON

10. MATTHEW STEWART

11. DOMINIC LEE

12. ANDREW SAUNDERS

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING:

1. NICOLE CHIN-SHUE

2. REBECCA WONG

End.