Atkinson leads Jamaicans into action

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:THE real action begins today at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, following last night's official welcome here for the more than 6000 athletes from 42 countries who will be in action over the next 16 days.

Athletes from Jamaica will don the national colours in four sports on the opening day - badminton, squash, swimming and tae kwon do.

Most attention will be focused on swimming where two-time Olympian Alia Atkinson competes today in the women's 100 metres butterfly. Atkinson, who also competed at the last Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one of the island's big medal hopes in the pool and she has ' high expectations'.

"This is basically my first whole year after school, and I have dedicated it to swimming so I have high expectations," the 22-year-old United States-based Atkinson said yesterday.

The 100m butterfly may just be a warm-up as Atkinson who lists the 100m and 200m breaststroke as her two 'best' events and with the Olympics coming up this year, is eyeing a top-three finish in both.

"It's a time qualification (for the Olympics) and that would probably have to be a top-three finish here," the holder of seven national swim records said from the Games Village.

big impression anticipated

Also bowing into action in the pool today is 15-year-old British-based Zara Bailey who is down for the women's 400 metres individual medley. Bailey, whose parents are Jamaicans, performed well in the English Championships this year, and manager Allan Marsh expects her to make quite a big impression.

"This is her first big meet. She performed well at the English national championships, so she should do well, especially in the 400m individual medley," Marsh said earlier this week. Jamaica has a team of three swimmers here, the other being 17-year-old Kandese Nangle, the national record holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke. Nangle will see her first action tomorrow in the 100 metres backstroke preliminaries.

There will also be men's singles action in badminton men's singles which will feature national champion Charles Pyne and Gareth Henry and squash men's singles where Jamaica's only competitor is Chris Binnie.

Binnie is looking forward to the competition.

The 21-year-old says although the competition will be very stiff, he is eager to match skills with some of the world's best.

"I'm looking forward to the experience of playing in the Pan American Games. This will be my first time playing in the games, and I hope to have some good performances. The tournament will include some of the best players in the world, so I'm looking forward to the competition and hope to gain a lot from it," Binnie said in a release from the Jamaica Squash Association yesterday.