Ukraine emphatically confirmed their status as new Olympiad champions by beating France 3-1 in the fourteenth and final round with two wins and two draws. Russia finished second on 36.5 points after beating China 3-1. Armenia also finished on 36.5 points by beating Georgia 3.5-0.5 but the Bucholz tie-breaks system had put the Russians at 460 and Armenia at 459!!!!

JAMAICA FIGHTING TO THE END

The Jamaican men lost 1-3 to Iraq with two defeats and two draws, Shane Matthews and Malaku Lorne holding on boards 1 and 4, respectively, while Duane Rowe and Russel Porter lost on boards 2 and 3, respectively. This took the West Indians´tally to 24.5 points a full point better than the 23.5 garnered in Bled, Slovenia, 2002 and  to 102nd position of 129 teams. Barbados were beaten 0.5-3.5 by Malaysia and finished on 25 points in 97th position. Trinidad & Tobago lost 0-4 to Morocco and ended in 115th position with 23 points.

WOMEN - EXCITING FINALE

China beat Slovakia 2-1 to finish on 31 points ahead of United States of America (28) who defeated Vietnam 2.5-0.5 GM Susan Polgar winning on board one to fulfil the promise of taking a medal back to the USA. Russia and Georgia were tied on 27.5 points but the Russians, who beat France 2-1, won the bronze medals on tie-breaks as their Bucholz score was 346 compared to Georgia´s 339. The Georgian women beat the Ukraine 3.5-0.5 and for the second straight Olympiad were just edged out of the medals.Trinidad and Tobago lost 0-3 to Botswana and ended their campaign on 12 points in 84th position out of 87 teams.

29th October, 2004
Ian Wilkinson
Captain, Jamaica
Press Centre
Calvia, Mallorca
Spain