CAC Games …
MAYAGUEZ, Puerto Rico (CMC) – Jamaican swimming star Alia Atkinson kept up her record-breaking feats, smashing yet another record as she continued to headline the Central American and Caribbean Games on Tuesday. With two records in the final already tucked away, the Olympian raced to yet another as she won the women’s 100m breaststroke in a time of one minute, 10.25 seconds late in the day at the Natarorio RUM swimming complex.
The new time eclipsed the mark of 1:11.60 set by Mexican Byanca Rodriguez earlier in the day.
Swimming out of lane five, Atkinson completed her first turnaround in 33 seconds before managing to hold off Mexican Aranxta Medina Alegria down the stretch to touch the wall first and claim her third gold medal of the competition.
Medina Alegria was second in a time of 1:10.80 with compatriot Rodriguez getting home for bronze in 1:10.96.
On Monday, the 21-year-old Atkinson took gold in the 200 metres individual medley in record time, a day after also winning the 200 metres breaststroke and setting a new mark.
On the men’s side of the pool, Cayman Islands’ Brett Fraser grabbed silver in the 200 metres backstroke, when he trailed home Colombian Omar Pinzon Garcia.
The 20-year-old Fraser, the younger brother of fellow Olympian Shaune, clocked 2:02.76 as Pinzon Garcia posted a new mark of 2:00.40, smashing Barbadian Nicholas Neckles’ four-year-old record of 2:00.85.
Neckles finished fourth in the event in a disappointing time of 2:03.39.
The Bahamas, meanwhile, claimed bronze in the 4×100 metres medley relay when they got home in 4:18.46 behind winners Mexico and silver medallists Puerto Rico.
In squash, Guyanese queen Nicollette Fernandes picked up bronze in the women’s competition after she lost her semi-final encounter to Mexican Samantha Teran in straight games 5-11, 6-11, 5-11.
There was no such disappointment for Barbadian Karen Meakins, however, as she cruised into the final with a 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 dismissal of Colombia’s Catalina Palaez.
Jamaica also picked up another medal when Christopher Binnie went down to another Colombian Miguel Rodriguez in the men’s semi-final 9-11, 2-11, 8-11.