Thornhill splashes to CCCAN gold

JANINE KIMBERLY THORNHILL copped the lone gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago as the 2003 Central American and Caribbean (CCCAN) Swimming Champion-ships ended in Mexico City, Mexico. Thornhill’s success on Saturday, in addition to two bronze medals earned by the national Under-15 and U-18 waterpolo teams on the day, were the only pieces of silverware collected by the depleted squads over the week-long event. Hosts Mexico were the overall winners, with 243 medals, including 113 gold, while Venezuela (142), Puerto Rico (58) and Cuba (18) followed. The 12-year-old San Fernando resident, who trains at the Marlins Swim Club, touched the wall in 28.52 seconds in the girls 11-12 50-metre freestyle final on Saturday night. Thornhill was also the gold medallist over the same distance at the 2003 CARIFTA Swimming Champion-ships in Jamaica. Another Marlins swimmer Stuart Gillette shared fourth place with Mexican Ramon Navarrete in the boys 15-17 50m freestyle final, both clocking 24.64 seconds, with Venezuelan Octavio Alesi an easy winner in 23.82.

Tidal Wave Aquatics’ Donna-Marie Wickham finished eighth and last in the girls 13-14 100m backstroke in one minute 15.11 seconds. The national Under-15 and U-18 waterpolo teams each collected a bronze medal after Saturday’s final round of competition, after finishing third in their respective three-team groups. The U-15s, playing in Group One, suffered heavy defeats in all four matches, including a 16-2 loss to the Puerto Ricans on Saturday morning while the U-18s, who featured in Group Two, drew one and lost their other three fixtures, including a 23-4 trouncing by the hosts. Both the swimming and waterpolo teams were expected to return home last night.