TWO NATIONAL AGE GROUP RECORDS FALL ON FINAL DAY OF CARIFTA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

April 3, 2005

Brad Hamilton broke two 15-17 National Age Group Records as Jamaica finished sixth at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships which ended today in Curacao. Hamilton’s first record came in an exciting 50 M freestyle when he swam a fast 24.42 to finish 4 tenths of a second behind Cayman’s Shaune Fraser (24.38) and inside Jevon Atkinson’s National Age Group record time of 24.54. Hamilton and Fraser were both faster than Bradley Ally’s CARIFTA record time of 24.43.

Later Hamilton teamed up with Garrick Robinson, Travis Forte and Dave Smith to take the Gold in the 15-17 200 M Freestyle Relay in a new National Age Group Record time of 1:39.91. The old record of 1:41.47 was set at the 2000 CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

Hamilton swam a personal best time of 1:09.34 in the 15-17 100 M Breaststroke to take the Silver Medal just behind Shawn Clarke of Barbados who swam 1:09.28. Jamaica’s Garrick Robinson claimed the Bronze touching third in 1:11.32. In the 13-14 100 Breaststroke, Matthew Hilton swam 1:13.83 to grab the Silver Medal behind the Netherlands Antilles Rodion Develaar who set a new CARIFTA record time of 1:09.07.

Jamaica final medal tally was 25: Three (3) Gold, twelve (12) Silver and ten (10) Bronze. The Synchronized Swimming Team and Coach Jackie Walter returned home today while the rest of the team will return to the island at 5:30 PM on Tuesday April 5.