GLASGOW, Scotland, CMC – Decorated Jamaican swimmer Alia Atkinson led the Caribbean charge in the pool on the opening day of action at the Commonwealth Games here yesterday.
The 25-year-old Olympian won heat three of the women’s 50 metres backstroke, getting home first in 30.49 seconds, ahead of the Scottish pair of Corrie Scott (30.64) and Andrea Strachan (31.90) who were second and third respectively.
St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Izzy Joachim finished down the field in a time of 34.80 seconds.
Fellow Jamaican Timothy Wynter joined Atkinson in winners’ row when he stormed to victory in heat one of the men’s 100m backstroke.
The 18-year-old was a clear winner, gliding to the finish in 58.97, with Uganda’s Arnold Kisulo second in 1:06.41 and Dean Hoffman third in 1:09.60.
Meanwhile, Barbadian Lani Cabrera captured heat one of the women’s 200 metres freestyle, touching the wall first in a time of two minutes, 7.02 seconds.
She finished marginally ahead of Matelita Buadromo who clocked 2:07.77 to be second, with Olivia Plateau de Maroussen of Mauritius coming in third in 2:07.98.
Another Barbadian, 15-year-old Alexis Clarke, missed out when she finished fourth in 2:14.36.
