Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA'S TEAM to the CARIFTA Swimming Champion-ships enjoyed a good first day in Barbados yesterday, winning at least two gold medals and breaking one games record.
Alia Atkinson led from the front when she struck gold and broke the Girls 15-17 200-metre breaststroke record clocking two minutes 41.62 seconds.
Kendese Nangle was also in gold medal form, when she hit the wall first in the Girls 11-12 50-metre backstroke in 33.48 seconds.
Matthew Hylton (2:36.59) may have also mined gold, as his second place finish in the Boys' 15-17 200-metre breaststroke should be upgraded after Cayman's first-place finisher Joel Rumble was disqualified. Brad Hamilton (2:37.07) was third in the event and is expected to end with a silver medal.
In the 13-14 girls 200-metre breaststroke, Simone Hunter (2 minutes 59.86 seconds) ended third, while her teammate, David Bromfield (34.02) was also third in the Boys 11-12 50-metre backstroke.
MEDALS EXPECTED
At press time, the Jamaicans had finalists in all the age-groups of the 100-metre butterfly events, with Brad Hamilton, Travis Forte, and Dominic Dawson all expected to come away with medals.
Earlier, Jamaica had started the day well with both the male and female water polo teams enjoying massive victories.
The men's team romped to an unbelievably easy 25-3 win over the Bahamas.
Captain Jaime Smith was in a no-nonsense mood, banging home four goals, while two of his team-mates, Jean-Claude Wright and Robert Hamilton, found the back of the net three times.
The women were no less dominant, as they thumped Trinidad and Tobago, 14-2.
For the Jamaicans, Sachelle Taylor was in awesome form, getting all of six goals.
Renee Wright and Stephanie Smith were no pushovers either, as they bagged two goals apiece.
In the day's other water polo game, Trinidad and Tobago's men came from behind in an enthralling final quarter where they trailed 6-3 to beat Curaçao 7-6.
