Brittney Marshall and Zindzi Swan covered themselves and Bermuda in gold on the opening day of the 2002 CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas on Saturday.

In somewhat contrasting fashion, the two teenagers ascended to the top of the medal podium at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau; Marshall for defending her title in the Under-17 girls shot put and Swan by leaping to unassailable lengths in her Under-20 debut in the long jump.

For the latter, the scenario could not have been more perfect if she had waved a magic wand. On her very first attempt, Swan slid into the sandpit at 5.83 metres - a new personal best exceeding her previous top mark of 5.74 metres. However, the CedarBridge Academy student was not satisfied and, on her second jump, she went where no Bermudian woman had gone before - over six metres.

Her mark of 6.01 metres not only easily earned the gold medal but established a new national record. Charise Bacchus of Trinidad & Tobago had to settle for silver with a best effort of 5.84 metres. Swan is also scheduled to compete in the high jump which she won at the Under-17 level last year in Barbados.

Marshall, the youngest member of the squad, bounced back from a horrendous first throw to ensure her reign as Under-17 girls shot put champion continued another year.

After recording less than 10 metres first time around - her worst throw in two years - she produced an unmatched 12.45 metres. This second effort was all that was required to secure gold but, for good measure, she took a third throw which was just shy of 12 metres. The silver medal went to St. Lucia with their competitor heaving the shot 11.72 metres.

Another Bermudian athlete, Jenny Palmer, also had reason to celebrate though not getting among the medals. In a gutsy effort, she accelerated past three opponents during the last 200 metres of the Under-17 girls 1500 metres to finish fifth and, more significantly, knock more than 16 seconds off her personal best in her maiden CARIFTA outing.

Her best pre-CARIFTA mark was 5:20.6 minutes and that was eclipsed by Saturday's 5:03.98-minute performance.

Tiffany Eatherley placed fourth in the Under-20 girls 1500 metres in 5:00.55 while Shar-Dae Whitter finished in 5:12.63. Another Bermudian debutant, Husayn Brown, finished seventh in the Under-17 boys 1500 metres in 4:28.73 and Richard Walcott, competing in the senior boys' level of the same event, was ninth in 4:28.69.

Derrick Golding and James Bergl failed to qualify for the final of the Under-20 boys discus. Golding placed 10th overall with a best of 32.15 metres and Bergl was 12th with 26.72 metres. Danielle Watson's time of 58.04 seconds in the Under-17 girls 400-metre final placed her seventh.

Up until press time last night no news was available on the performances of the five Bermudian athletes in action yesterday, the second day of competition.