Cayman Islands residents have long been capable of major achievements and that fact came to the fore this year in sports.
A number of local athletes did the country proud across various disciplines. Two of the biggest flag-bearers were swimming brothers Shaune and Brett Fraser as the George Town duo qualified for the Olympics for the second straight occasion.
Shaune, 23, was the first to grab a berth for London 2012 in the 200m freestyle event. Over the summer he had a time of 1:47.73 at the Fédération Internationale de Natation World Championship in Shanghai, China. At the same event Brett earned a B standard Olympic qualification in the 50m event.
From there Brett, 22, would post a time of 1:47.56 in the 200m free at the US Nationals in Palo Alto, California. The young men are taking to the Olympic stage for the second time after representing Cayman in Beijing, China in 2008.
In October the duo would shine in the 200m free at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Brett won gold in 1:47.18, crushing the previous record of 1:48.49 set by Gustavo Borges in 1995. In the process he climbed to 14th in the world rankings. Shaune would claim silver in 1:48.29.
Another major swimming feat took place over the summer that earned Cayman international recognition. Australian/Brit marathon swimmer Penny Palfrey, 48, swam across 67.25 miles of open water between Little Cayman and Grand Cayman in 40 hours and 41 minutes. In the process she set a new world record, beating the previous longest open water swim mark of 63 miles held by three swimmers who crossed the English Channel. She would suffer ulcers on her mouth from the salt water, bruised muscles and was ordered by doctors to rest for days after the swim.
National boxing hero Charles Whittaker had a major victory in November. The 37-year-old West Bay fighter would beat Florida-based Cuban Giorbis Barthelemy in Miami. As a result the 18-year veteran is number two in the International Boxing Federation light-middleweight rankings and has the right to fight IBF champion Cornelius Bundrage in the New Year.
North Side track and field star Ronald Forbes will be starring for Cayman on the Olympic stage. In August Forbes, 26, would reach the semi-finals of the mens 110m hurdles at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Championships. In Daegu, South Korea he would post a personal best time of 13.54 seconds. Forbes will compete in the London 2012 Olympics, his second time on the Olympic stage after competing in Beijing three years ago.
A young footballer could carry the Cayman flag high in England. Sebastian Martinez, 13, signed an 18-month contract with Swindon Town Football Club in the United Kingdom. A product of Academy Sports Club, Martinez is now suiting up for a League Two club. Facilitating the signing was talent scout and former Jamaican international Fitzroy Simpson, who also visited Cayman to search for more talent.
The road running scene saw some major achievements. For starters, resident star Marius Acker won the Cayman Triathlon for the sixth straight time back in November. The 40-year-old South African completed a 1,500 metre swim, 40km bike and 10km run in two hours nine minutes and 37 seconds.
Beth Schreader, 31, claimed the women’s portion of the Cayman Marathon for the fourth straight year. In the 2011 marathon, which marks the race’s ninth year, Schreader had a time of three hours, 14 minutes and 28 seconds to finish third overall in early December.
Justin Grunewald, 25, would win the overall Cayman Marathon title. The Minneapolis, Minnesota native is an Olympic hopeful and had a time of two hours, 36 minutes and 23 seconds across 26.2 miles to break the mark Scott Brittain set three years ago.
Dariel Ebanks would reach new heights in boxing. The 20 year-old light heavyweight won gold at the Ronald Wilson Memorial Tournament in Bridgetown, Barbados (a replacement for the Caribbean Championships). Ebanks also got an invitation to train in Cardiff, Wales next February in preparation for the March 2012 Olympic qualifiers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sports tourism and beach volleyball would get a boost in December. The national men’s and women’s teams would advance past the first stage of Olympic qualification for the first time. Richard Campbell and Shervin Rankin, Olney Thompson and Philippe Deslandes, Stefania Gandolfi and Taylor Burrowes and Cristin Alexander and Jennifer Bily would place fifth in the North American, Central American and Caribbean volleyball federation Continental Cup, staged on Grand Cayman’s Public Beach.
Related Videos
