TT's Thompson earns CCCAN backstroke gold

JERON Thompson won the first gold medal for TT at the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championships in Barbados, yesterday.

At press time last night TT had three medals - one gold, one silver and one bronze.

Thompson took top spot in the Boys 18-and-over 50 metre backstroke in 26.96 seconds. Silver went to Mexican Carlos Godinez Garcia in 27.34 and Hernan Gonzalez of Panama was third in 27.37. Christian Awah of TT also competed in the final, but had to settle for fourth place in 27.53.

Grabbing bronze for TT was Gabriela Donahue in the Girls 15-17 50m backstroke in 30.47. Mexican Citlali Jimenez Torres won gold by the narrowest of margins in 30.31 and Logan Watson-Brown of Bermuda took silver in 30.32.

Graham Chatoor won this country's first medal when he snatched silver in the Boys 18-and-over 1500m freestyle, on Friday. Chatoor's time of 16 minutes, 47.24 seconds (16:47.24) was fast enough to finish behind Mexican Axxe Salgado Salinas who won the race easily in 16:02.80. Touching the wall just behind Chatoor was Alex Dakers of the Cayman Islands, who copped bronze in 16:49.16.

TT swimmers qualified for a number of backstroke finals, yesterday. In the Girls 11-12 50m backstroke Joy Blackett finished seventh in 35.44 and in the Girls 13-14 50m backstroke Gabrielle Vickles was fifth in 32.69. TT had two representatives in the Boys 13-14 50m backstroke with Zarek Wilson ending fifth in 28.76 and Kadon Williams was eighth in 29.75. Ornella Walker just missed out on a medal when she was fourth in the Girls 18 and Over 50m backstroke in 31.75.

The Championships continue today.