News15 Dec 2004


Sun, fun, splash and dash

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Kareem Streete-Thompson (left) and Allen Johnson (right) in the dash (© Guy Harrison)

So everyone is back into the hard slog of winter training ahead of the 2005 season? Perhaps so but anyone forming the impression that there is no time for light-hearted competition should look at a beach event which took place on Grand Cayman on the weekend 11/12 December, as part of the effort to help rebuild the economy of the island which was recently damaged by Hurricane Ivan.

USA’s quadruple World 110m Hurdles champion Allen Johnson and World and Olympic swimming medallist Nate Dusing triumphed in dramatic fashion to claim the title of ‘2004 World Beach Sprint Kings’ in the first ever World Class Cayman Dash & Splash. The best two out of three sea-land relay race pitted Johnson and Dusing of Team Green against Neil Walker (USA) and Kareem Streete-Thompson (Cayman Islands) of Team Gold.

The 2004 inaugural event staged by the Cayman Islands Sports Development Company was set on the famous Seven Mile Beach in front of the Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and featured four of the world’s fastest athletes in a made-for-TV relay competition.  The equilateral triangle course required the leadoff swimmers to dive from the beach into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and navigate 50 metres out and then back to the beach for a total of 100 metres.  Upon reaching the beach, the swimmers tagged their land-based counterparts who sprinted the remaining 50 metres to the finish.  The winners of two of the three heats would be the first ever ‘World Beach Sprint Kings’.

The Walker/Streete-Thompson duo easily won Heat One in a time of 1:10.50 and Team Gold appeared poised to an easy inaugural victory.  However, Team Green reached down deep and claimed their first win in a time of 1:13.70.  In crowd-pleasing spectacular fashion, Heat Three of the ‘surf & turf’ relay ended in a photo finish dead heat (1:11.40).

The rules of the competition then forced a 50m-sprint runoff between Johnson and Streete-Thompson. Johnson won the runoff in 6.76.

Johnson commented, “I am thrilled that Nate and I were able to come back and pull this one out. I don’t think I would have ever lived this one down if we had lost and so that was part of my motivation in the runoff.  I also wanted to win this for my daughter who was here watching today.”  Johnson, who was a competitor in the earlier Superstars series, added, “It was awesome to be in this beautiful Caribbean setting and running through the pristine Seven Mile Beach in bare feet.”

Dusing continued, “It was a very special opportunity for me to team up with Allen in this first-time event.  Although I was just at the Athens Olympics with Allen, we have never even had the opportunity to meet each other and now to compete with perhaps one of the greatest athletes of all time is something that I will long remember.” 

The ebullient crowd included His Excellency Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy, Governor of the Cayman Islands.  A sports-enthusiast, the Governor noted, “This event was a godsend for the Cayman Islands.  Some are aware of the devastation recently caused by Hurricane Ivan to Grand Cayman only three months ago.  However, the staging of this event provided the tourists and our local population a chance to enjoy a world-class sporting event while showcasing that our islands have returned to their natural splendor.”  

At the conclusion of the event, The Governor awarded each of the competitors with a priceless Kirk-Freeport Waterford crystal vase. 

Neil Walker, a World and Olympic swimming medallist enthused, “ Win or lose it was great to return to the Cayman Islands and be able to give the people of Cayman an opportunity to celebrate sport and take their minds off the trauma of rebuilding after Hurricane Ivan.  While I’m not happy that Kareem and I didn’t come out on top, this event was a winner for everyone involved.”  Neil Walker is a frequent visitor to the Cayman Islands and was also personally selected to be a personal trainer for The Governor for the frequent sea swim competitions that are staged off Seven Mile Beach.

Sprinter/long jumper Kareem Streete-Thompson summed up by adding, “I was so happy to see the kids, their parents and the tourists out today to watch us.  This is an event that will be held annually, and to see the tremendous support from so many at this difficult time made me proud to be Caymanian.  Like Neil, I was not happy to be runners-up, but I think it should be noted that he and I now own the course record.”

This event is scheduled to be run again in 21-23 October 2005.

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