ATKINSON SMASHES NATIONAL 50 M BREASTSTROKE RECORDS AND FINISHES NINTH AT COMMONWEALTH GAMES

March 16, 2006

Wow, what a night! Eight events: Seven Games Records and one Jamaican National Record and on a day when Australia was supposed to dominate, Scotland stole the show to win two Gold Medals.

Alia Atkinson smashed Jamaica’s Women’s 50 M Breaststroke National Record for the second time in twelve hours and came agonizingly close to qualifying for the final. Swimming in lane 7 of the second semi-final, Atkinson had a fast start with a reaction time of .75 sec and held fourth place up to the 25 metre mark, but Canada’s Lauren Van Oosten, swimming beside her in lane 6, managed to turn it on with 20 metres to go, slowly easing ahead to push Atkinson into fifth with a time of 32.59. Atkinson has the ninth fastest time after the semi-finals and will be the first alternate for tomorrows final.

In the first event, Scotland’s Caitlin McClatchey was determined to show that leading time in the Women’s 200 M Freestyle preliminary heats was not a flute as she powered her way to a PB and Games Record and Gold Medal time of 1:57.25, smashing Karen Pickering’s 2002 record time of 1:59.69 by more than 2 seconds.

The next final to be swum was the Men’s 400 M Freestyle and the home crowd was sure that their own Craig Stevens, swimming in lane four, would be their hero. But Scotland’s David Carry had other plans as he went out fast to take the lead at the first 100 metres. Steven’s would never really challenge and Carry took the Gold swimming a time of 3:48.17 well short of Ian Thorpe’s World and Commonwealth Games record time of 3:40.08.

England’s Liam Tancock looked very strong throughout the race swimming a Games Record time of 24.84 in the Men’s 50 M Backstroke semi-finals. Jessicah Schipper time of 26.77 knocked .11 seconds off the Games Record in the Women’s 50 M Butterfly earning her the top seed in the final.

Australia finally won Gold when Stephanie Rice came from behind to win the Woman’s 200 M Individual Medley in a Games record 2:12.90. New Zealand’s night turned Gold when Moss Burmester swam a fantastic final 25 metres to win the Men’s 200 Metre Butterfly in yet another Games Record time (1:56.64). Bahamian Jeremy Knowles came ever so close to the Bronze Medal when he finished fourth swimming 1:59.37, just 19 behind Joshua Krogh (Australia) who took placed third.

The final event of the evening had the crowd on their feet from the start as South Africa, Australia, England and Canada battled for medals in the Men’s 4 X 100 M Freestyle relay. Although only a whisker separated the top three at the end, South Africa led from start to finish taking the Gold in a fantastic Games Record time of 3:14.97, well ahead of Australia’s time of 3:16.42 set at the Manchester Games.

Jamaica will participate in four events tomorrow.

MEN’S 50 M BUTTERFLY

Brad Hamilton (26.84 seeded 28^th Heat 3/6 Lane 7)

WOMEN’S 100 M FREESTYLE

Alia Atkinson (59.37 seeded 22^nd Heat 5/6 Lane 1)

Tamara Swaby (1:00.54 seeded 30^th Heat 3/6 Lane 2)

MEN’S 200 M FREESTYLE

Brad Hamilton (52.33 seeded 19^th Heat 5/5 Lane 8)